Trek
by XFangHeartX
Summary: Luffy and Aika go on a journey to renew their bond as brother and sister. Full summary inside. Read and review, and no flames or hate, please!
1. A Bond Broken?

One Piece:

Trek

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One Piece © Oda

Story and OCs © Me

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Summary- Due to what transpired on Whole Cake Island, Luffy and Aika have grown distant from each other, and what starts as a simple camping trip meant to reforge their bond turns into an adventure to find their way back to the others through a vast forest. With the Marines pursuing them, Luffy and Aika will have to work together in order to survive, and hopefully, form their bond as siblings anew.

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**Ch. 1- A Bond Broken?**

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Bonds between people are said to be quite fragile. In some cases, they can either be easily broken beyond repair or grow stronger than ever. It seemed that the same thing could be said for a certain pair of siblings on a particular pirate ship.

It is on the _Thousand Sunny_ where our story begins.

It had been exactly 2 days since the Straw Hat Pirates had escaped from Big Mom's territory. Thanks to the sacrifice of Pedro, as well as the efforts from Jimbei and the Sun Pirates, the small crew barely managed to get away with their lives. Though the _Sunny_ did take some heavy damage, the Straw Hats weren't too worried. They knew that their ship was a lot more durable than their previous one, and besides, as soon as they got to Wano, Franky would be able to fix her up as good as new.

However, that wasn't the issue, here. Take right now, for example.

Luffy yawned as he stretched his arms, having come outside for some fresh air. His wounds have practically healed up, by now, so he was practically back to his old self, again...there was just one problem. As Luffy came outside, he noticed Aika walk by on the deck, holding a juice box. He smiled at his younger half-sister, who momentarily glanced at him in passing.

"Hey, Aika!" Luffy called. "Whatcha doin'?"

Aika sucked her bottom lip into her mouth before she hurriedly walked through the door and closed it behind her, causing Luffy to sigh as his smile fell.

Lately, for some reason, Aika had been ignoring Luffy. Whenever he tried to say hi to her, she'd only spare him a passing glance before she hurried off to who-knows-where and not even say one word to him. Whenever he tried to ask her if she wanted to play, she quietly shook her head and walked to her room. Even last night, she acted strangely. When he went to give her a goodnight kiss, she quickly buried herself under the covers, prompting Nami to do kiss Aika's forehead in Luffy's stead.

It was almost as if...Aika didn't want Luffy around.

"...What did I do?" Luffy asked with a sad and lonely expression.

Nearby, Blizzard watched his master and he couldn't help but pity him, so...and Sanji, who was leaning against the railing while smoking a cigarette, only sighed as he watched his captain.

"...Poor guy," he whispered...for he knew exactly why Aika was acting this way.

_Flashback_

It was after lunch yesterday. Aika had finished eating early and hurried out of the galley. Luffy tried to follow her and ask what was wrong, but Sanji told him to leave her alone, thinking that she was just tired.

It wasn't until after lunch was finished and everyone brought in their plates and bowls that Blizzard went up to the cook as he was washing the dishes.

_"Sanji...mind if I talk to you?"_ the wolf-dog asked.

"What's going on?" Sanji asked.

_"You've noticed it, haven't you?"_ asked Blizzard. _"The way Aika's been acting toward Luffy?"_

"...Yeah, I have," Sanji answered. "I don't understand it. She used to love that guy...but now, she's trying to avoid him like he's the plague or something. She won't even talk to him."

_"...I know why,"_ Blizzard said. _"Aika told me not to tell Luffy, but she didn't say anything but not telling anyone else."_

"What's wrong?" Sanji inquired.

_"...When Luffy came back to the ship after his fight with Katakuri,"_ Blizzard began, _"you saw how bloody and beaten he was...he looked like he was about to bite the big one."_

"Don't remind me..." Sanji muttered.

_"And what's worse...Aika saw that gaping wound in his side,"_ Blizzard said. _"And then, Luffy got his new bounty, and that just made things even worse...and then she told me something."_

"What?" Sanji asked.

_"...She doesn't want Luffy to be a pirate, anymore,"_ Blizzard said, causing the cook to gape his jaw at the wolf-dog, almost to the point where his cigarette fell out...and judging by the look on his face, Sanji knew he wasn't lying.

"...Oh, my god...!" Sanji whispered. "But...but that's like saying-"

_"Before you go there,"_ Blizzard began, _"she knows just how selfish it sounds...which is why she's going through such great lengths to avoid Luffy in the first place."_

"...But...but still," Sanji said.

_"I know, it's bad,"_ Blizzard interjected. _"Aika knows it, too...she's afraid that if she tells Luffy, he won't love her, anymore."_

"That's stupid," Sanji retorted. "Luffy loves Aika, no matter what."

_"That's what I told Aika,"_ Blizzard said. _"Sanji...don't tell her that I told you about this, okay? As far as she knows, this is between me and her."_

"...Fine," Sanji replied as he went back to washing the dishes. "I'll do it, but I won't like it."

_"I didn't expect you to,"_ Blizzard replied as he turned and walked out of the kitchen.

_Flashback end_

Sanji sighed as he watched Luffy solemnly walk away to the figurehead. It was the only place where he felt like he could take some time to go over his thoughts without anyone bothering him. However, Sanji and Blizzard weren't the only ones watching, for up in the Crow's Nest, Carrot watched as she saw everything unfold while Chopper sat with her.

"Luffy seems pretty sad, huh, Chopper?" asked Carrot.

"Yeah, I know," Chopper replied. "I don't know what's gotten into Aika, lately. She used to love being around Luffy, but now it's like she doesn't even wanna look at him."

"You-_teia_ don't think she hates him, do you?" Carrot inquired.

"No, I don't think Aika hates Luffy," Chopper answered. "I think she's just still pretty traumatized over what happened in Totto Land, that's all."

"I guess so," Carrot said. "She used to be so bright and cheery, but now..."

"I know," Chopper said. "People can change, Carrot...even sweet little girls like Aika. We just have to hope that she hasn't changed too much."

Carrot nodded her head at this before she glanced back outside.

In the library, Nami hummed a bit to herself as she worked on her maps, her hair tied back in a ponytail and wearing her "working glasses". As the navigator worked, she glanced over her shoulder to see Aika, sitting at the table while sipping her juice box. Nami's lips tightened and her eyes softened as she stared at the young D Carrier. Her eyes, once so bright and vibrant, had now become dull and listless. Her smile, impish and cheery, had been replaced by a bitter frown.

This girl she was staring at...was not the Aika she knew and loved. This little girl was merely a shell of Aika's former self.

Nami sighed before she turned around in her chair.

"Aika?" she called, gently, causing Aika to glance over at her. "You wanna come sit with me?"

Aika paused before a small (forced) smile appeared on her face, then she climbed down from her chair and approached Nami, who picked her up and held her on her lap, gently kissing her forehead.

"It's okay, honey," Nami whispered. "Everything will be okay, I promise."

Aika didn't reply...but instead, she quietly buried her face in Nami's bosom, causing the navigator to embrace her, tightly.

Her maps could wait...her little sister needed her, right now.

XXX

Throughout the day, things got worse. Luffy would try and make some sort of contact with Aika such as hugging her or saying hello, but she'd only look at him nervously before she walked away from him. Needless to say, Luffy was getting very frustrated, by now.

"Dammit!" Luffy cursed as he punched on a wall. "What am I doing wrong?!"

"Luffy, what is going on?" Nami asked as she came outside from the Aquarium Bar, having heard his shouts.

"What's going on?!" Luffy asked. "I'll tell you what's going on! Aika hates me!"

"Luffy, Aika doesn't hate you," Nami said. "She's just...feeling a bit lost, that's all."

"What do you mean, lost?" Luffy asked. "She's not lost! She's right here! Who do you think she is, Nami? Zoro?!"

"That's not what I mean," Nami said in irritation. "Look, Luffy...Aika went through a lot, back on Big Mom's territory. She's probably gonna be like this for a while."

"But why is she avoiding _me?_" Luffy asked. "She won't look at me, she won't talk to me...she acts like I'm the worst thing since...since...those disgusting cherry pies from Mock Town!" He then looked down at the deck. "...Did I...do something wrong?"

"Luffy, it's not that," Nami said. "Maybe she's ignoring you because she feels like that's the only way she can get you to notice something's up with her."

"But why?" Luffy asked.

"...Well, Luffy," Nami began, "when was the last time you and Aika spent time together?"

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "Spent time together?"

"Yeah, you know," Nami replied. "When was the last time you and Aika did anything fun together? Quality time, stuff like that."

Luffy scratched at the back of his head as he thought back to when the last time he did any sort of activities with Aika...and that's when his eyes widened.

"Wow..." he muttered. "I...I guess it's been a really long time. The last time Aika and I got to do anything fun was back when she first joined up with us, and that was before I found out she was my sister!"

"Well, maybe that's it," Nami said. "You and Aika should do something, together, as brother and sister."

"Like what?" Luffy asked.

"Well...there's an island coming up soon," Nami answered. "I think it's called Hetheren. It's got lots of forest areas and a couple of small towns here and there. Maybe you and Aika could go camping!"

"Camping, huh?" Luffy pondered as he put a hand to his chin, thoughtfully, then he began to grin. "Yeah...yeah! That's a great idea!" He then hugged Nami. "I knew I loved you for a reason, Nami!"

"Aww, Luffy," Nami smiled as she returned his hug.

XXX

As the sun began to set, Aika stood alone in the middle of the lawn deck, watching the orange and red sky as the wind blew softly, gently ruffling her hair. She sighed as she looked down at the grass...feelings of guilt and sadness weighing heavily on her heart.

She felt bad. She knew that ignoring Luffy probably wasn't the best way to go about her feelings...but there was no way she could tell him about what she really wanted. What kind of sister would she be if she outright told her older half-brother that she didn't want him to be a pirate, anymore? She knew that all she wanted was his safety, but she should've known better. The life of a pirate is always going to be dangerous.

She just didn't realize how close she was to losing Luffy until she saw him injured like that. That's what really got to her...but even if Luffy did know, it wouldn't stop from doing what he wanted...so there was no point in telling him the truth.

It was just...better this way.

"Aika?"

Aika gasped as she whirled around and saw Luffy, standing at the top of the stairs that led to the galley. He had this soft smile and a look of understanding...one that she had missed for quite some time, now.

"Hey, Sis," Luffy said, only for Aika to swallow the lump in her throat before she turned around, preparing to walk away, again. "Wait, Aika!"

Aika froze before she glanced back at Luffy, who began to step down the stairs.

"I figured out why you've been avoiding me, lately," Luffy said.

"Uh...y-you have?" Aika asked, nervously.

_'Blizzard, you said you wouldn't tell him!'_ she thought.

"Aika," Luffy said before he squat down to her height level, "when was the last time you and I spent any time together? Just the two of us?"

Aika blinked in perplexity before she glanced down at the lawn, rubbing her arm.

"...I guess it's been a while," she said.

"Yeah, I think so, too," Luffy concurred. "Listen...I think the reason why you've been ignoring me is that you just want us to have fun again, don't you?"

"...I guess so," Aika replied.

"There's an island coming up soon," Luffy replied. "How about you and I go camping?"

"Camping?" Aika repeated.

"Yeah! We'll go on a little camping trip," Luffy answered. "What do you think? Does that sound fun to you?"

Aika glanced down at the lawn to think it over. Perhaps this wouldn't be such a bad idea. Maybe, just for this little trip, Luffy didn't have to be a pirate. Maybe, just for this one occasion...Luffy could actually be her brother, instead. She didn't have to worry about him having to fight anyone and getting hurt.

"...Okay," Aika smiled. "Let's do it!"

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed as he ruffled her hair, causing her to let out that sweet little laugh that he loved so dearly.

However, Luffy and Aika would soon learn that even the best-made plans often go awry.

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**TO BE CONTINUED...**

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Nami: Well, we're here!

Luffy: Okay, you guys! We'll be back in three days!

Sanji: Remember to take a Transponder Snail with you!

Carrot: Be careful out there!

Nami: Aika, be good for Luffy, understand?

Aika: *nods* Yeah! I will!

Luffy: Come on, Aika! Let's get this trip started!

*Meanwhile*

Pirate: Ugh...damn you...!

?: It's your fault...you should have known better than to put your hands on one of my men. *throws him down to the ground*

Next time: **Enter Vice-Admiral Langstrom**

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And here it is, the arc you've all been waiting for! Trek has officially begun!

Review, please!


	2. Enter Vice Admiral Langstrom

**Ch. 2- Enter Vice-Admiral Langstrom**

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One Piece © Oda

Story and OCs © Me

* * *

The following day, Luffy had gotten out his backpack and was preparing for the little outing with Aika. He had gotten all the necessary essentials: matches, his water canteen, some extra clothes, an umbrella in case it rained, a Mini Transponder Snail, and of course, three of Sanji's Pirate Lunchboxes. The Straw Hat Captain smiled at his work before he began to close it up while Nami sat nearby, watching him.

Luffy had even changed his clothes for the day: he was wearing a red shirt with a roaring lion's face on the side, plus his usual blue shorts and his yellow sash.

"You sure you got everything?" she asked.

"Yep!" Luffy said as he slung his backpack on his shoulders. "Everything I need!"

"Well, the island should be coming up in a little bit," Nami answered before she stood up and put her hands on Luffy's shoulders. "You and Aika have fun out there, okay? How long do you plan on being gone?"

"Not long," Luffy answered. "2 or 3 days, tops."

"Well, okay," Nami said. "Remember to call us if you need anything."

"Well, you'll barely hear from me," Luffy said. "Aika and I will be fine. Promise."

"I hope so," Nami replied before she kissed Luffy on the cheek, causing him to chuckle. "Be careful, please."

"I will, Nami," Luffy replied.

"And remember to keep an eye on Aika," Nami said. "You know how she is, sometimes."

"Yeah, I know," Luffy said. "Seriously, I don't know where she gets this wandering off stuff from..."

"Of course, you don't..." Nami muttered.

XXX

Meanwhile, in Aika's room, she was just getting ready to pack up her things, too: a sleeping bag, some snacks to eat, her PJs, water bottles, her wolf plush, Timber, and some bug spray. As for Aika, she was wearing a white T-shirt with turquoise stripes, a magenta skirt, and her favorite cowgirl hat.

"There," she said. "All packed."

She smiled to herself as she closed her backpack as she thought back to the days when she first joined up with the Straw Hats. The last time that she and Luffy had any fun together was when they went out onto a snowy island with Kumi and had a run through the snow. Of course, Vice-Admiral Auguste and his men came after them, but it all turned out fine in the end.

_'This will be the first time since then that Big Brother and I actually spent any time together,'_ she thought, but then she gasped as she heard a knock on the door.

"Aika?" Luffy called from the other side. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm ready!" Aika answered as she grabbed her backpack. "I'll be out soon!"

Soon after, she heard the sound of Luffy's sandals slapping against the floor as he walked away, causing her to smile as she looked at her backpack.

_'For this time, only...it'll be just me and Big Brother...nothing will get in the way of that.'_

She then thought back to what she told Blizzard a few days prior...and she frowned, momentarily, but then she quickly shook her head.

_'No...I won't think about that, now.'_

She soon opened the door and headed outside.

XXX

"Island, dead ahead~!" Carrot called from the Crow's Nest, just as Luffy, Aika, and Nami came outside. There, on the horizon, was an island that was completely covered in a dense, green forest.

"Well, there's the island of Hetheren," Nami said. "We should be there, shortly."

Aika gasped excitedly while Luffy gently ruffled her hair.

"You're excited, huh, Aika?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah!" Aika answered. "I can't wait!"

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed while he momentarily thought back to his childhood. He remembered the camping trips and hikes he would take with Ace and Sabo in the jungle. They'd sit around a bonfire, telling spooky stories and eating crocodile meat. Luffy always loved going camping. It always made him feel closer to his brothers...and now, he hoped it would help him and his sister get closer, too.

As the _Sunny_ reached Hetheren's shore, the D Siblings soon headed down the gangplank.

"Well, we're off now!" Luffy said. "See you guys! We'll be back in 3 days!"

"Remember to call us if something goes wrong," Sanji said.

"Be careful out there!" Carrot added.

"Try not to get hurt out there, okay?" Chopper asked.

"Aika, you be good for your brother," Nami said, "understand?"

"Mm!" Aika nodded. "Yeah! I will!"

"Come on, Aika!" Luffy called. "Let's get this vacation started!"

"I'm coming!" Aika replied as she ran after Luffy. Once she caught up, she soon grabbed his hand, causing him to look down at her before he gave her a big, toothy grin, which she returned.

XXX

On the _Sunny_, Nami, Chopper, and Carrot watched as Luffy and Aika disappeared into the forest from the railing.

"Well, they're gone, now," Chopper said.

"Yeah, they are," Nami replied before she stretched her arms. "Well, at least it'll be quiet around here for the next 3 days."

"Yeah...but it'll seem pretty lonely without Luffy and Aika here," said Carrot.

"...Yeah...I guess you have a point, there," Nami agreed.

As for Sanji, he was heading into the kitchen so he could think about what to make for lunch later. However, as he made his way up the stairs, he noticed Blizzard sitting near Nami's tangerine grove, watching the forest. The cook sighed before he went over to Blizzard, who glanced back at him.

_"...Yes?"_ Blizzard asked.

"How'd you know I was gonna ask you something?" Sanji asked.

_"I just do,"_ Blizzard answered. _"So what's going on?"_

"...Blizzard...why did you tell me first and not Luffy?" Sanji inquired. "Aside from Moss-head, you're like his best friend...so why didn't you tell Luffy?"

_"...You're talking about what Aika said, right?"_ Blizzard asked. _"I told you about it first and not Luffy because I think he should hear it coming from Aika, not me."_

"And what will that do?" Sanji questioned.

_"...Think of it this way, Sanji,"_ Blizzard replied. _"This is a test of their bond as brother and sister."_ He then turned to face Sanji completely. _"If Aika decides to tell Luffy the truth, it could make their bond stronger...but if she continues to keep quiet about it, only then will things get worse."_

"So what do we do?" asked Sanji.

_"...Just sit by and wait,"_ Blizzard said as he looked back to the forest. _"That's all we can do."_

"...I hope you're right about this," Sanji said.

_"To be honest, Sanji...so do I..."_

XXX

Meanwhile, somewhere within the forest...the sound of heavy panting and footfalls filled the air. Blood dripped onto the soil, staining it red as whoever it fell from ran. Wide eyes darted back and forth occasionally, trying to find the pursuer.

A spiky-haired pirate, wearing a dark red shirt with torn sleeves, a white headband around his forehead, and a pair of dark green pants, groaned as he clutched his wound. He then glanced back at the trees behind him, still panting heavily...but then he smirked before he turned to run...only to bump into someone. As he looked up, he gasped in horror upon seeing a taller-than-average man wearing a bluish-green suit and a Marine coat over his shoulders. He had slicked-back dark green hair, a thin mustache, and a cigar in his mouth. He glowered down at the pirate, who gulped as he tried to back away...only for the Marine to grab him by the throat.

"Well...looks like I finally found you," the Marine whispered.

**MARINE VICE-ADMIRAL**

**"LION FIST" LANGSTROM**

"No! No, wait, please!" he cried. "I'm sorry! Truly, I am!"

"No, you're not," Langstrom whispered. "Not yet...because I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

"I don't understand!" the pirate cried. "What the hell do you want from me?!"

"...I want you to suffer," Langstrom hissed with narrowing eyes...and soon after, he began to change. His muscles grew at least 2 times in size, his face grew long and turned into a muzzle with a dark red nose whiskers growing out of the sides of his snout, his flat teeth sharped into fangs, a long tail with dark green fur grew out of his rear end...and his dark green hair turned into a long, thick mane. Langstrom opened his eyes, revealing them to be a golden yellow with slit pupils.

"Oh, my god...!" the pirate whispered in horror...as brief images of other pirates being viciously mauled death by this same feline-like monster appeared in his mind's eye. "No, please...! Not that! I beg of you!"

"I would have just left you and your crew alone," Langstrom began, "but you were the ones who attacked my men without provocation...and I don't forgive _anybody_ who hurt my friends!"

With a roar, Langstrom opened his jaws while the pirate screamed in horror...but then, there was a loud **CRUNCH!** Then blood splattered on the ground...then...silence.

XXX

At the southwestern shore of Hetheren, a few Marine soldiers were seen sitting around a base camp...some of them wearing bandages on various parts of their bodies. Among them was a man of at least 20 years, about as tall as Zoro. He had tanned skin and auburn hair. He had no shirt on, but he did wear a Marine coat over his shoulders, just like Langstrom. His only attire was a pair of dark blue pants with a _wakizashi_ sword strapped to his belt.

**MARINE CAPTAIN**

**"100 SLASH" DEREK**

"How are you all holding up?" asked Derek.

"A little sore, but we'll be fine," answered one of the soldiers..and at that moment, Langstrom soon appeared, back in his human form...with a tiny speck of red smeared on his mouth.

"Vice-Admiral Langstrom, sir!" Derek saluted.

"How is everyone doing, Captain Derek?" asked Langstrom.

"Still recovering, sir," answered Derek. "I'm afraid these soldiers will be out of commission for quite some time."

"We're sorry, Vice-Admiral," said one of the soldiers. "We should have been more careful." He then gasped silently as Langstrom put his hand on his shoulder

"It was a surprise attack," Langstrom assured. "I should have been here to prevent it in the first place." He then smiled. "You've got nothing to be sorry for. Just rest, for now."

"...Thank you, sir," answered the soldier.

"Vice-Admiral, sir!"

Langstrom turned to see another soldier come running up to him, panting before giving him a salute.

"Sir! A report!" he declared. "The Straw Hat Pirates' ship has been spotted off the western coast!"

"The Straw Hat Pirates?" repeated Langstrom, raising an eyebrow in perplexity. "Here?"

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Next time on One Piece: Trek!

Luffy: This looks like a good spot to set up camp, Aika!

Aika: *is watching some butterflies*

Luffy: *smiles at her, lovingly*

*On the _Sunny_*

Sanji: ...I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling.

Blizzard: _Usually, it's me who gets the bad feeling._

Carrot: *comes rushing into the kitchen* Guys, come quick!

Brook: The Marines are attacking us!

Sanji: What?!

*In the forest*

Soldier: *snickers as he aims a gun at Aika, whose back is turned* Say goodbye, kid...

Luffy: Hey! *has a very furious look in his eyes*

Next time: **Trouble Always Finds Us**

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Yeah...I might have rushed this one a bit. I actually lost some progress on it last night, so I had to start over from where I left off. Hope you guys still enjoy!

Review, please!


	3. Trouble Always Finds Us

**Ch. 3- Trouble Always Finds Us**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Story and OCs © Me

* * *

"What?!"

Langstrom sat in the captain's quarters of his battleship, which had the figurehead of a roaring lion, scrabbling his quill pen on some documents. Captain Derek stood beside him while before Langstrom was another Marine, this one wearing a black suit and a red scarf around his neck. He had one a Marine cap and a blue jacket with a Marine badge on his left side. He had a thick, dark gray beard and ear piercings on his left ear, too.

**MARINE ENSIGN**

**HENDRICKSON**

"What do you mean we're not going after the Straw Hats?!" questioned Hendrickson. "Sir, this is a matter of dire importance-"

"Quiet, Hendrickson!" barked Derek. "The Vice-Admiral's orders are absolute."

"Derek's right, Hendrickson," said Langstrom. "No one is going after the Straw Hats. Not on my watch."

Hendrickson growled at this, clenching his fists angrily.

"What kind of cowardice is this?!" he questioned. "There are pirates encroaching on Marine territory, and you're just going to let them?! Vice-Admiral, we must take action and make these criminals see the error of their ways!"

Suddenly, Langstrom stood up, slamming his hands against his desk.

"Do you take me for a fool, Hendrickson?!" he questioned. "I am NOT risking casualties over a band of motley pirates!"

"But sir!" Hendrickson argued. "We have over hundreds of men at our command and there's only so few of them! What's stopping us?!"

"Clearly, you don't know these pirates," Langstrom replied. "Let me remind you of something: these pirates, though few in number, have built their reputation by taking on impossible odds! And look at their captain, Hendrickson." He then held up Luffy's wanted poster. "Need I remind you that in his short pirate career, Straw Hat Luffy has defeated 4 big name pirates of the East Blue, 3 of the Seven Warlords, infiltrated all three World Government Strongholds, is the son of Dragon the Revolutionary, the grandson of Vice-Admiral Garp, blood brother of both 'Fire Fist' Ace AND Sabo the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff, and just recently defeated one of Big Mom's highest-ranking officers?! He didn't earn that 1.5 billion Berry bounty FOR NOTHING!"

Derek gulped nervously as he looked over at Hendrickson, who opened his mouth to speak...and yet, he fell short.

"My thoughts exactly," Langstrom said. "Leave the Straw Hats alone, Hendrickson. Unless they actually do something to provoke us, I will not take action. You are dismissed."

"...Yes, sir..." Hendrickson bowed his head as he turned and walked out.

"Well said, sir," Derek said as he looked to Langstrom, who sighed and nodded his head.

"I'm not saying he doesn't speak sense," Langstrom said. "I know Straw Hat Luffy can be dangerous...I just can't take chances, is all. If what the news about him says is true, we could be dealing with the potential Fifth Emperor."

"Sir, with all due respect," Derek began, "do you honestly believe that Straw Hat has become THAT powerful? Maybe it was an exaggeration. You know how sometimes, Morgans tends to stretch the truth a bit."

"I _hardly_ think that was an exaggeration, Captain Derek," answered Langstrom. "After all...I was there, two years ago, during the Paramount War. I _saw_ what he was capable of."

"You did?" asked Derek in surprise.

"Yes...which is why I'm not taking any risks," Langstrom said. "Say what you will, but the safety of the island's citizens and my men are more important...which is why I'm leaving him alone unless he actually decides to do something. Besides...I doubt he knows we're here."

"...I agree, sir," Derek replied.

XXX

Hendrickson stood outside of Langstrom's office, glaring at the door before he soon walked out, grumbling to himself.

_'That stupid, cowardly fool,'_ he thought. _'Doesn't he know an opportunity when he sees one?! If we were to arrest the Straw Hats here and now, we'd be made heroes of the world!'_ He then smirked, toothily. _'Maybe I could finally get that promotion to Vice-Admiral, as well!'_

He then began to picture himself, wearing a Marine coat over his shoulders, wearing a more lavish suit with a flower corsage, surrounded by beautiful women and fine wine and delicacies.

"Yes, I can see it all, now..." Hendrickson said. "Gehahahaha!" He then glanced to some Marine soldiers sitting around chatting. "Now...I just need to rope in some followers."

XXX

Meanwhile, Luffy and Aika had stopped in the middle of the forest, right in a nice sunny area clear of trees so that they could get a good look at the sky.

"This looks like the perfect place to set up camp, Aika," Luffy said as he put his backpack down. "I'll get the tent pitched, okay?"

"Okay," Aika replied as Luffy got to work on setting up camp. He pulled the tent out of his backpack, unrolled it, and started to pitch it up by hammering the tent pegs into the ground. However, as he looked over his shoulder, he saw that Aika was staring at a little white butterfly that was perched on a leaf. She smiled at it, even giggled as it flew up and landed on her nose, and it was at that moment that Luffy felt his heart melt, a warm smile appearing on his face.

"Looks like she's already having fun," he thought aloud. "...When was the last time I saw her like this?"

Aika gently blew the butterfly off her nose, causing it to flutter away into the sky.

"Aika!" Luffy called.

"Huh?" Aika muttered as she looked back.

"Why don't you go and get some firewood, okay?" Luffy asked.

"Okay, Big Brother!" Aika smiled as she went to go search for some dry branches.

"And don't go too far, got it?" Luffy asked.

"I won't!" Aika answered as she headed into the forest while Luffy continued to set up camp. As he did, he smiled to himself, thinking about how much fun Aika was already having. It looked like this camping trip was going to be a good idea, after all...

Or so he thought, at first.

XXX

Aika hummed a little tune to herself as she quietly gathered some sticks into her arms. As she did, she smiled as she watched a little ladybug buzz by, then she looked up as she heard the call of birds high above her in the trees. She could hear the chattering of squirrels, scurrying about in the branches as they tried to gather food.

All around her, she could hear the beautiful sounds of nature.

_'This is so peaceful,'_ she thought. _'Reminds me of back when I was at home on Wolf Paw Island...'_

She then frowned for a moment.

_'...How long has it been since my island got destroyed by the Marines? Since my Mommy died? I think it's been almost 2 years, already...'_

She then looked down at the leaf-littered ground.

_'That's right...my birthday's coming up, soon...I'll be 7 in a few more days.'_

She giggled to herself as she kept gathering sticks.

_'Still...I'm happy, even now. Big Brother and I are together, and best of all, we don't have to worry about anybody coming after us. As long as Big Brother doesn't fight...he won't get hurt...and if he doesn't get hurt, then he won't die.'_

As Aika continued to gather kindling...she didn't seem to have any idea that she was being watched. High up on a ridge and hiding behind some shrubs, there was Hendrickson and several Marine soldiers surrounding him. One of them was holding what looked like a sniper rifle, complete with a scoping lens.

"What do you have, sniper?" asked Hendrickson.

"Looks like a little girl, Ensign," answered the sniper as he kept his scope fixed on Aika. "Reports say that she was seen sailing with the Straw Hats."

"Hmm...obviously, she's of some importance to the pirates," said Hendrickson as he spied Aika, as well.

"What should we do, sir?" asked the sniper.

"Straw Hat might be nearby," Hendrickson answered. "We can use her for leverage." He then flashed a wicked smirk. "Sniper...shoot the girl on my mark, but just try to graze her. We want her captured, not dead. We'll use her to lure the Straw Hats to us."

"Aye, sir," replied the sniper as he prepared to pull the trigger...but before he could...

"HEY!"

The Marines froze before they all turned around...and gasped upon seeing Luffy, glaring at them with a look of pure, murderous rage.

"What the HELL do you think you're doing?!" Luffy questioned.

XXX

"Damn that Hendrickson...where'd he go?"

Derek grumbled to himself as he walked through the forest, stepping over bushes and ducking underneath low branches. He had a look of annoyance on his face as he looked around, trying to find the Ensign in question. Langstrom had suspected that Hendrickson might have been up to something, so he sent Derek after him to go find him.

"I don't know what that idiot is thinking," Derek muttered, "but knowing him, I know it's not good. Just wait until I find him. He's gonna hear it when I-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

To Derek's shock, a scream of fright was heard, echoing through the air, and not long after, there was a loud crash, followed by more screams. As the Marine Captain ran to go look, he was suddenly pushed aside by Hendrickson, who panted as he ran through the forest.

"Hendrickson!" Derek shouted as he ran after him. "What's going on?!"

"He's a monster, I tell you!" Hendrickson yelled, but before Derek could question him further, he looked back, only to gasp upon seeing several Marine soldiers lying scattered on the ground, bloodied and beaten...and among them was the Marine sniper that Hendrickson almost ordered to shoot Aika...and walking away from the carnage was Luffy, himself. Derek gasped before he quickly hid behind a tree, just as Luffy turned around...that same look of fury in his eyes.

_'So that's Straw Hat Luffy,'_ thought Derek as he glanced down at the defeated soldiers. _'...Damn...to this much damage in such a short time?! He certainly is powerful...'_ He then took a quick peek and saw that Luffy had disappeared.

"He's gone..." he whispered before he went to check on the men. "Hey, are you all right?"

"Ugh...C-Captain Derek?" asked one of the soldiers.

"What are you doing here?" asked Derek. "The Vice-Admiral's orders were not to engage Straw Hat in any attack!"

"But...the Ensign," the soldier groaned. "He said that...if we arrested Straw Hat, we'd all get medals...!"

"You fools," Derek said with a stern glare. "Since when were medals more important than your lives?!" He then pulled out a Mini Transponder Snail from his coat pocket. "I'll make a quick casualty report to Vice-Admiral Langstrom-"

**WHACK!** Before Derek could do so, he was suddenly struck in the back of the head by the butt of a rifle, causing him to collapse on the ground...and over him stood Hendrickson, who glared at him, bitterly.

"I'm afraid...I can't let you do that, Captain," said Hendrickson as he looked down at the Mini Transponder Snail...and smirked.

XXX

Back on the _Sunny_, about an hour had passed since Luffy and Aika had left. The crew took this chance to relax and have a bit of time to themselves. It was a little quiet, though...and maybe a bit lonely. Nonetheless, they weren't too worried. Luffy did say that if anything happened, he'd call them and let them know.

Right now, Sanji was in the kitchen, washing some dishes while Blizzard lied on the floor, not really asleep, but just lounging. However, as Sanji put the last of the dishes away, he gnawed on the butt of his cigarette...something he'd only do when he was nervous about something.

_"What's up with you, Sanji?"_ asked Blizzard.

"...I don't know why," Sanji answered, "but I have a really bad feeling."

_"Really?"_ Blizzard asked, incredulously. _"Usually, it's me who gets the bad feeling...you don't think it has anything to do with Luffy, do you?"_

"It's almost too quiet around here," Sanji replied. "You know how things get it's too quiet."

_"Maybe, for once, you're overthinking things,"_ said Blizzard. _"Seriously, what could possibly go wrong?"_

Suddenly, **KABOOM!** A large explosion sent the ship, nearly sending Sanji toppling over to the floor while Blizzard shot straight up on his paws!

_"What the hell was that?!"_ asked Blizzard, and not long after, Carrot and Brook came rushing into the kitchen, looking panicked.

"Guys! Come quick!" Carrot cried.

"The Marines are here, and they're on the attack!" Brook added.

"...I overthink things, huh?!" Sanji questioned, causing Blizzard to grin, sheepishly.

_"Well, I could be wrong, you know,"_ the wolf-dog said.

XXX

"Chopper, hurry up and unfurl the sails!" Nami yelled.

"I'm trying!" Chopper answered from the yardarm, trying to untie the mainsail. "It would be easier if Luffy were here!"

Behind the _Sunny_, Langstrom's battleship was seen firing at the sloop ship. So far, none of the artillery shells managed to hit...but they weren't stopping yet.

"Vice-Admiral Langstrom, sir!" said one of the Marines on board, holding a Mini Transponder Snail. "The Straw Hats are within sight!"

**"Commence pursuit, at once!"** Langstrom's voice answered. **"I want all those on board that ship arrested!"**

"What are you going to do, sir?" asked the Marine Petty Officer.

**"Isn't it obvious?"** Langstrom asked. **"I'm going after Straw Hat!"**

XXX

On the land, Langstrom had gathered several other Marine soldiers...and by several, this writer means quite many.

Langstrom growled as he stood before his men...slowly transforming into his lion-hybrid from.

"...The hunt has begun...!" he snarled. "Straw Hat will pay for his crimes!"

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Next time on One Piece: Trek!

Hendrickson: **Vice-Admiral! This is horrible! Straw Hat Luffy attacked Captain Derek and...and...HE THREW HIM INTO THE SEA!**

Langstrom: WHAT?!

*At the campsite*

Luffy: RUN, AIKA!

Aika: *gasps as she sees the Marines coming*

Langstrom: *jumps in Luffy's way* You're not going anywhere, Straw Hat...!

Luffy: *cracks his knuckles* You wanna fight, huh?!

Aika: *gasps* Oh, no...!

*On the _Sunny_*

Nami: Sanji, where are you and Blizzard going!?

Sanji: We're going to go find Luffy. Try and avoid the Marines until then.

Carrot: *is looking through binoculars* Hey! What's that on the water?

Next time: **The Lion's Roar**

* * *

Uh-oh!

Review, please!


	4. The Lion's Roar

**Ch. 4- The Lion's Roar**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Story and OCs © Me

* * *

_Flashback to just 15 minutes ago_

Langstrom sat in his study, having himself a cup of tea poured by one of the soldiers under his command. However, he found himself unable to enjoy it very much. He sent Derek out earlier to keep track of Hendrickson, but so far, he heard no word from him. He tried not to show it, but he was getting a bit worried about the Marine Captain.

Suddenly, **PURU-PURU-PURU~! PURU-PURU-PURU~!**

"That must be Derek," said Langstrom as he picked up the Transponder Snail's receiver. "Derek?"

**"Vice-Admiral! This is Marine Ensign Hendrickson! It's terrible, sir!"**

"Hendrickson?" asked Langstrom. "Why are you picking up? Where's Captain Derek?!"

**"That's just it, sir!"** cried Hendrickson, the snail's face taking on a panicked and teary-eyed visage. **"Captain Derek...HE'S DEAD!"**

Langstrom's eyes went wide in horror.

**"Straw Hat Luffy...he attacked us! Captain Derek insisted that we run while we escaped...but as I went to go help him, Straw Hat Luffy...he...HE THREW DEREK INTO THE SEA!"**

"WHAT?!" Langstrom questioned in shock.

**"Forgive me, sir..."** Hendrickson sobbed.** "I swear, we didn't do anything to provoke Straw Hat! He just saw us and went on the offensive!"**

"Where are you?!" asked Langstrom.

**"Just south of the base, sir!"** Hendrickson answered. **"We found Straw Hat there!"**

"Then that's where I'm going," Langstrom answered as he hung up the snail...his eyes taking on a vicious, deadly glare as fangs appeared in his mouth. "Straw Hat...!"

XXX

Hendrickson chuckled as he put the Transponder Snail away, then looked down at the unconscious Derek.

"Sorry about this, Derek," he said, "but you left me with no choice. I'll be sure to let your family know of your 'heroic' deeds." He then picked him up and dragged the unconscious Marine Captain toward a cliff that hung over the ocean below...and all around were large creatures with wolf-like faces and jagged fins. "It's really too bad, but...you were in the way. With luck, though, maybe I'll get your title as Captain, instead..." He then gave a wicked smirk. "With that...farewell, 'friend'. I hope you make a nice meal for the sea wolves."

And with that...he kicked Derek off into the waters where the sea wolves hungrily waited...and he landed with a large **SPLASH!**

_Flashback end_

**KABOOM!** Another cannonball was fired at the _Sunny_, barely missing but still sending the ship rocking up and down on the waves.

"Shit!" Sanji cursed as he kicked another cannonball away. "They just keep firing at us!"

"Take THAT!" Carrot yelled as she used her Electro Claws to slash through three cannonballs at once. Even then, though, they still kept firing at them.

_"If only we had Luffy here!"_ Blizzard shouted. _"His Gum-Gum Balloon would really come in handy!"_

"Nami, haven't you tried calling Luffy yet?!" Chopper asked.

"I'm trying, right now!" Nami answered.

XXX

Luffy sighed as he finally made it back to the campsite, scratching the back of his head.

"Damn Marines..." he cursed as he glanced back. "Can't get a moment's peace, can we?"

"Big Brother?"

Luffy turned to see Aika, who looked up at him worriedly. The sticks she had gathered for the fire had been made into a neat little pile, but she still seemed rather unnerved.

"Where did you go?" Aika asked. "I thought I heard fighting sounds."

"Uh...d-don't worry about it, Aika," Luffy said. "It was just some pests. I took care of 'em."

"...Pests, huh?" Aika asked, but then Luffy gently ruffled her hair and gave her that usual toothy grin of his.

"Hey, relax," said Luffy. "Remember? We're here to have a good time!"

"...Right," Aika nodded with a small (forced) smile.

"Now, how about we have something to eat?" Luffy asked as he grabbed his backpack. "I'm starving. I bet you're probably hungry, too, huh sis?"

"Uh-huh!" Aika nodded, eagerly as her older half-brother handed her a lunch box, which she opened up to reveal an assortment of foods, such as pork cutlets, some sweet potatoes, sandwiches, and some cinnamon cookies. Aika smiled, knowing that even in times of trouble, Sanji's cooking always helped her to feel better. The truth was she sensed something might have been wrong the moment she went out to get firewood, but she pushed her instincts aside because of her desire to just have a good time with Luffy.

Besides, what were the chances they were going to get attacked way out here?

As Aika opened her mouth to take another bite, she felt a jolt go up her spine. Her eyes flashed red, her Observation Haki kicking in. Luffy sensed it as well, immediately whirling around as he saw an aerial slash come flying towards him and Aika.

"WATCH OUT!" Luffy yelled as he grabbed his younger half-sister and leaped out of the way while the slash ended up destroying part of their camp as well as their lunch boxes.

"W-what was that?!" Aika asked as Luffy gently set her down, looking around for the instigator with a growl in his throat.

"Straw Hat Luffy! You are under arrest!"

Luffy looked up to see a hulking shadow standing in the tree branches.

"Who the hell are you?!" Luffy questioned. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"I should ask you the same question," the figure answered before he jumped down from out of the tree, then landed with a resounding **THUD!** As he raised his head...it was soon revealed to be Langstrom in his lion hybrid form!

"...A lion...?!" Aika whispered.

"I am Vice-Admiral 'Lion Fist' Langstrom!" Langstrom declared. "Straw Hat Luffy...you will pay for your transgressions!" He then held up his large paws, which were blackened with Armaments' Haki. "I won't forgive you for this!"

Aika's went wide, her nose suddenly twitching.

_'That...that smell on his hands...is that...?'_

"So, you figured out what I did to your little lackeys, huh?" Luffy asked. "Well, maybe you shouldn't have sent them after us!"

"I gave no one permission to track you down!" Langstrom barked. "You attacked them out of your own volition...and what's more, you killed my dear friend Derek!"

"Derek?" Luffy repeated. "Never heard of the guy!"

Hearing that only made Langstrom's eyes darken.

"Then I will make sure you remember his name," he began, "after I SEND YOU TO HELL!"

With that, he charged toward Luffy, who charged right back with a loud battle cry before they clashed, their hands interlocked with each other. As Luffy strained to hold Langstrom back...he suddenly found himself buckling to his knees.

"What's...going on...?!" Luffy asked. "Suddenly, I feel...like I can't...stand up...!"

Langstrom grinned at this.

"You think I came unprepared?" he asked. "I have heard of your infamy, Straw Hat...and I never face a fellow Devil Fruit user without my trusts Sea Prism Stone claws!"

Aika gasped before she took a closer look at Langstrom's hands, and that's when she saw two metal cloves with sharp claws on the fingertips. Luffy growled, trying to force himself to stand up before he reeled his fists back and threw several stretching punches at Langstrom. However, the Vice-Admiral began to parry the blows with his own fists. As Luffy continued to try and hit back...his knuckles started to bleed, causing Aika to gasp, worriedly.

"Oh, no...!" she whispered.

"Is that really the best you have to offer me, Straw Hat?!" asked Langstrom before he leaped up and kicked Luffy in his stomach...right in the scar that Katakuri left behind, causing him to grunt in pain as he was sent tumbling back. "Hmph...to think, I actually underestimated you. The newspaper made you sound like such a powerful pirate...but then again, Morgans tends to stretch the truth a bit."

"Haa...haa...!" Luffy panted as he held his side while Aika whimpered, anxiously. It appeared that Luffy's scar hadn't completely healed yet.

"Know this, Straw Hat Luffy," said Langstrom. "I almost achieved the rank of Admiral during your two-year absence. I even managed to go toe-to-toe with your grandfather, Monkey D. Garp!" He narrowed his eyes, his pupils slitting. "I am NOT to be underestimated...!" He then shifted his eyes on Aika, who gasped. "Neither you or that girl will escape!"

Luffy's eyes went wide before he turned to Aika, whose eyes went wide in terror...and at that moment, he could only think of one thing to do...

"RUN, AIKA!" Luffy yelled. "RUUUUUUN!"

Aika was already way ahead of her half-brother, morphing into her wolf form before she took off running, and Luffy soon bolted after her...but Langstrom let out a powerful roar before he took to trees and gave chase! As he did, he leaped up into the air and imbued his right claws with Haki, again as he pressed his fingers together.

"Shigan...STING!" yelled Langstrom as he made a flicking motion with four fingers, creating air-compressed projectiles that hit Luffy right in his back!

"AAAAAAAAAAGH!" Luffy screamed as he tumbled on the ground, forcing Aika to stop running as she gasped in shock.

"BIG BROTHER!" she cried while Luffy seethed in pain, blood dripping from the wounds on his back.

"Urgh...agh...!" he groaned as he tried to stand up...only for Langstrom to drop down from the trees and approach him with a dark look in his eyes. Try as Luffy might, it felt like his energy was being sapped right out of him, causing Langstrom to chuckle as he flexed his Sea Prism Stone claws.

"Those air-compressed bullets from my Shigan are combined with elements of my Sea Prism Stone claws," said Langstrom. "It probably hurts to even move, doesn't it? Don't worry...the effect will dissipate after some time."

"...Damn you...!" Luffy cursed.

"It's over," he growled as he reached down to pick the Straw Hat Captain up...but then, out of nowhere, he heard a loud yell, and following that, he felt a set of small but sharp fangs sinking into his nose, causing him to roar in pain. As Luffy looked up, he gasped upon seeing that it was Aika, biting the Lion-Man's nose as hard as possible, and for good measure, she summoned all her energy and used Electro to send a jolt of electricity through his body, causing him to yell in pain. However, he was still as powerful as ever, for he managed to reach up and yank Aika off of his nose, which bled from her fangs tearing into him before he forcefully threw her to the ground.

"AGH!" she cried as she hit the dirt while Langstrom growled, preparing to tear into her with his claws...but then...

"GUM-GUM RED HAAAAAAAAWK!"

**KABLAM!** Luffy, mustering whatever strength he could, punched Langstrom square in the gut with a blazing fist, sending him crashing through several trees! Then, once Luffy was certain that the Vice-Admiral was down, he grabbed Aika, stretched his and grabbed the nearest tree branch, even though it looked like it strained him to do so.

"Let's get outta here, Aika!" Luffy shouted. "Gum-Gum ROCKET!"

**VWOOM!** Luffy soon sent himself and Aika flying through the sky, disappearing beyond the tree line.

XXX

"Dammit!" Nami cursed as she slammed the Transponder Snail's receiver down, again. "I still can't reach Luffy!"

"Then what are we gonna do?!" Chopper questioned. "The Marines are still chasing us!"

Sanji turned back, glancing at the battleship that still pursued them, then he looked to the forest.

_"Sanji?"_ asked Blizzard. _"What are you thinking?"_

"...I hate to do this," Sanji muttered before he looked to Nami and the others. "Nami...you think you, Chopper, Brook, and Carrot can hold your own for a while?"

"Uh...I guess," Nami answered. "Why?"

"Blizzard and I are gonna go find Luffy and Aika!" Sanji answered.

"What?!" Chopper questioned.

"But...but Sanji!" Brook cried.

"I have to!" Sanji replied. "As far as I know, the Marines could have gone after them! They could be on the run, right now, and they could have left all their supplies behind! What if they starve out there?!"

The four Straw Hats and Carrot gasped. When Sanji talked about things like starvation, they knew very well that he was dead serious about things like this. It was then that they knew that convincing him not to go would prove fruitless.

"...Okay, Sanji," Nami nodded. "Be careful!"

"We'll hold the fort!" Carrot added.

"Of course," Sanji replied before he went to the kitchen, gathered up some things such as meat, cookies, sandwiches, and other things, put them all in a backpack, and mounted on Blizzard's back.

_"Ready to go, Sanji?"_ asked Blizzard.

"You bet," Sanji answered.

"We'll see you soon, Sanji!" Chopper exclaimed. "We'll try not to get captured while you're gone!"

"Or die trying!" Brook added. "Yohohoho! Although I'm already dead."

"We'll also try and call Luffy again," Nami added.

"Good," Sanji answered. "Blizzard...as Luffy would say, let's ride!"

With a grunt, Blizzard jumped off the _Sunny_ to land, then ran off into the forest...leaving the others to escape the Marines.

"...I hope they'll be okay," Nami whispered.

"Me, too," Chopper added while Carrot looked out toward the bow of the ship...and almost instantly, her eyes widened and her ears perked straight up.

"Hey...what's that?" Carrot asked.

"Huh?" Nami asked. "What's what?"

"There, on the water!" Carrot answered as she pointed to the sea, causing the others to run to get a closer look...only to gasp in shock.

"Good heavens!" Brook cried. "It's a man!"

Yes, it was indeed a man...Captain Derek, who was floating on the water, unconscious, missing his Marine coat and cap.

"Don't just stand there!" Chopper shouted. "Someone save him!"

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Next time on One Piece: Trek!

Derek: Ugh...w...where am I?

Chopper: Are you okay, sir?

*In the forest, late at night*

Luffy: *is sitting under a hollow tree with Aika to stay out of the rain*

Aika: ...Big Brother? Are we lost?

Luffy: ... *sighs* Yeah...I think we are. *smiles at Aika* Don't worry...we'll get through this.

*Meanwhile*

Sanji: Luffy?! Aika!

Blizzard: _I don't think they're here, Sanji._

Sanji: Dammit...! They've gotta be here, somewhere!

*With Hendrickson*

Hendrickson: What?! Derek's still alive?! *thinks* _If he's still alive, he'll ruin everything!_

Next time: **Lost**

* * *

Review, please!


	5. Lost

**Ch. 5- Lost**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Story and OCs © Me

* * *

In the _Sunny's_ sickbay, Chopper had just put Derek on the cot, having bandaged all his wounds. He had checked his vitals and saw that he had been struggling...and with good reason. He was also covered in several lacerations made by huge teeth. Whatever it was he had been fighting, it wasn't about to give him up.

As Chopper scribbled something in his notes, he heard a groan behind him, causing him to glance back and gasp as he saw Derek beginning to open his eyes.

"Nami!" he called. "He's coming around!"

Nami came running in as soon as she heard Chopper's cries, and Carrot followed soon after.

"Ugh..." Derek groaned as he sat up, holding his head. "W...where am I?" He then noticed Nami, Chopper, and Carrot out of the corner of his eyes and gasped before he backed away, trying to reach for his sword...only he couldn't seem to find it on his person.

"Looking for something?" Nami asked, holding up his _wakizashi_. "Sorry, but we couldn't take chances, so I confiscated this off you while you were unconscious."

"...So this is how it ends, huh?" Derek asked. "One minute, I'm fighting off a pack of sea wolves...and the next thing I know, I'm on the ship of the infamous Straw Hat Pirates." He then gave a heavy sigh. "I guess luck's not on my side, today." He looked up at the group with a defiant glare. "Well...go ahead. Do whatever the hell you want with me, but just know that I won't go down easy."

"What are you talking about?" Chopper asked. "We saved your life!"

"Yeah! We found you on the sea while you were unconscious!" Carrot added.

"So...I'm not a prisoner?" Derek asked.

"We're still deciding on that, to be honest," said Nami. "So...what rank are you? Vice-Admiral? Commander?"

"Captain," replied Derek. "Captain '100 Slash' Derek."

"Okay...Derek," Nami said. "Why are you having your men chasing us?"

"Chasing you?" asked Derek.

"Yeah! We were fleeing from a Marine battleship with a lion's head!" Chopper answered.

"...Vice-Admiral Langstrom's ship," muttered Derek. "Listen...there's been some sort of terrible mistake. Where's your Captain, Straw Hat Luffy? I have to talk to him."

"Luffy is out camping with our cabin girl," Nami replied. "The only ones on the ship are me, Chopper, Brook, and Carrot. Our cook, Sanji, took our ship's guard dog, Blizzard, and went to find Luffy."

"Damn..." Derek cursed before he started to get up. "I have to try and contact Vice-Admiral Langstrom. This is all a big misunderstanding!"

"What do you mean?" Carrot asked.

"Wait! You shouldn't get out of bed!" Chopper cried, but it seemed Derek was too determined to get up to listen...but the moment he tried to stand, he immediately stumbled and fell to the floor.

"What the...?" he asked as he looked down at his legs...only for his eyes to go wide in shock: the only thing that remained of his right leg was a bandaged-up stub.

"I tried to tell you," Chopper said, sadly. "When we found you...your leg had been bitten off."

"You said you were attacked by sea wolves, right?" Nami asked. "One of them must have taken your leg before you could get away."

"...Shit...!" Derek cursed as he clenched his fists.

XXX

Meanwhile, in the forest...

"Luffy~! Aika~!"

Blizzard ran through the foliage with Sanji riding on his back, the latter clinging to the former's scarf as he called out for his captain and his younger half-sister. So far, no luck yet. Even so, they continued to search.

"Luffy! Aika!" Sanji called. "Where are you guys?!"

There was no answer.

"Dammit, where are they?" Sanji cursed as Blizzard broke through some shrubs...only to find Luffy and Aika's campsite in ruins. The tent was in shreds and the sticks that were going to be used for the campfire had scattered. Most importantly, though...Luffy and Aika were nowhere to be seen.

_"Uh-oh..."_ Blizzard muttered. _"Looks like they're already gone."_

"Dammit, we were too late," said Sanji as he jumped down from Blizzard's back and took a look around. He could see footprints in the dirt...as well as pawprints. Some of them were human footprints that turned into a trail of pawprints, followed by a trail of prints left by sandals. Obviously, these were left by Luffy and Aika. However, as Sanji followed the trail, he saw a set of even bigger pawprints...and these pawprints slowly turned into human footprints, as well.

"...A Devil Fruit user," Sanji surmised.

_"And judging by the size and shape of the pawprints,"_ said Blizzard, _"it looks like they were left behind by someone who could turn into some sort of big cat."_ He then sniffed the ground...only for his eyes to go wide. _"Sanji...I smell Sea Prism Stone...and I can also smell a bit of Luffy's blood."_

"Which means Luffy's injured," Sanji realized. "Shit...this is even worse than I thought."

_"You think Luffy and Aika are all right?"_ Blizzard asked.

"...I hope so," Sanji answered as he climbed onto the wolf-dog's back again. "Let's hurry and see if we can find them."

Not long after he said this...there was the sound of thunder rumbling up in the clouds above and the sky slowly grew dark.

"Fast!" Sanji added, and soon, Blizzard galloped off, just as the rain began to fall.

XXX

The rain started out light, at first...but then, gradually, it started to turn into a downpour. Animals both large and small headed off in different directions, trying to seek shelter. Among them was Luffy and Aika, both of them sitting inside a hollow tree to keep out of the rain. It was cold and dark...and lightning flashed in the sky, followed by the rumble of thunder. Luffy sighed as he watched the dark, swirling clouds before he glanced down at his younger half-sister, who sat next to him while she held Timber in her arms, her eyes downcast while Luffy gently held her to his side.

"...Big Brother?" Aika asked as she looked up at him. "Are...are we lost?"

Luffy heaved a quiet sigh as he looked out to the clouds above.

"Yeah...I think we are," he admitted.

"...What's gonna happen to us?" Aika asked as she pressed herself up against Luffy's side, causing him to smile as he gently stroked her hair.

"It's okay," her older half-brother assured. "We'll get through this, somehow...and we'll get through it together, okay?"

Aika blinked up at Luffy before she gave him a small smile.

"Okay," she said.

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "We'll get moving as soon as the rain stops, okay?"

"Mm!" Aika nodded as she nestled up against his side, once more. Luffy smiled before he dropped a small kiss on Aika's forehead, which caused her to giggle.

The storm continued to rage on as the D. Siblings waited it out. However, it didn't seem it was going to let up any time soon. It wasn't too long before Luffy and Aika both fell asleep within the hollow tree, the former snoring loudly while the latter lied against his stomach with his arms wrapped around her. As they slept, Aika quietly opened one eye to look at her older half-brother's snoring face...then sighed as she fell back to sleep, again, a soft smile forming on her lips.

For now...Luffy was just Luffy...her brother and nothing else.

XXX

It wasn't until about a few hours later that the storm finally broke. As Luffy and Aika came out of the tree, they surveyed the horizon, but all they could see was the treetops of the evergreens. It was still daylight out, but it looked like it wouldn't be too much longer until the sun went down.

"Wow..." Luffy muttered as he looked around. "It sure did rain, huh?"

"Yeah...and I don't know where we are," Aika replied.

Just then, **PURU-PURU-PURU! PURU-PURU-PURU! PURU-PURU-PURU!**

"Huh?" Luffy muttered before he reached into his pocket and pulled out his Mini Transponder Snail. "Hello?"

**"Luffy! Oh, thank god, I finally reached you!"**

"Nami?" Luffy asked.

"Big Sis!" Aika exclaimed.

"Is everything okay?" Luffy asked.

**"We were being chased by the Marines, earlier,"** Nami said.

"What?!" Luffy questioned. "Are you guys all right?!"

**"We're fine, Luffy,"** Nami answered. **"We managed to get away, but we don't know for how long. Sanji and Blizzard are on the island, looking for you."**

"Aika and I were being chased by some lion guy, earlier," Luffy replied. "I think his name was Lang...something."

**"Vice-Admiral Langstrom?"** Nami asked.

"Yeah, that's it!" Luffy answered. "For some reason, he thinks I attacked his friends for no reason! The Marines came after Aika and me! I was trying to protect her!"

**"We don't really know the full details," **Nami replied. **"Do you know where you are, right now?"**

"Not really," Aika answered. "We're somewhere in the forest. Where are you guys?"

**"We're on our way to the other side of the island,"** Nami answered. **"There should be a town there, but it might take a few days for you guys to get there on foot."**

"Got it," Luffy nodded. "We'll rendezvous with you there!"

**"Be careful out there, Luffy!"** Chopper added. **"You, too, Aika!"**

**"Be safe!" **Carrot exclaimed.

**"And do look out for Langstrom fellow!"** Brook warned.

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

**"I'll call Sanji and Blizzard and tell them to meet you at the town,"** Nami said. **"You might run into them on the way there."**

"Thanks, Nami," Luffy replied. "See you in a few days!"

With that, he hung up and put the snail in his pocket, then picked up a stick and began to walk off.

"Big Brother, where are you going?" Aika asked.

"Where do you think?" Luffy asked. "We gotta meet up with Nami and the others, remember?"

"But Big Brother...you don't know the way there," Aika said. "What if we get even more lost?"

"It's okay," Luffy replied. "We'll work it out somehow, just like we always have." He then gave Aika a grin. "You just gotta trust your big brother, okay?"

Aika's eyes went wide at that.

"Besides!" Luffy exclaimed. "Think of it this way! Instead of a camping trip, it's an adventure with just the two of us! It'll be fun!"

"...I guess I didn't think of it that way," Aika said before she smiled. "It does sound kinda fun!"

"Atta girl!" Luffy praised before he began to walk off. "Well, what are you we waiting for? Let's go, Aika!"

"Yeah!" Aika agreed as she soon followed after her older half-brother, thus beginning the journey between brother and sister.

XXX

"What?!" Hendrickson questioned as he held up a Mini Transponder Snail in his hand. "Derek's still alive?!"

**"Yes, sir! He was spotted onboard the Straw Hat's ship!"**

Hendrickson seethed angrily at this.

_'I should have known he'd survive,'_ he thought. _'If he gets to Langstrom, my plan will be in ruins!'_

**"Ensign Hendrickson, sir? What should we do?"**

"...Continue to pursue the Straw Hats," Hendrickson answered. "Your orders are to reclaim Captain Derek...and when you get him back, execute him."

**"B...but sir-"**

"Those are your orders!" Hendrickson barked. "Derek cannot contact Langstrom, no matter what!"

**"AAH! Y-yes, sir!"**

"As for me," Hendrickson started as he grabbed a huge bazooka, "I'm going on a little hunting trip." He then smirked. "That little girl...she was seen with Straw Hat. I'll capture her and use her as leverage. Straw Hat and his crew will have to surrender to me, then! Gehahahaha...GEHAHAHAHAHA!"

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Next time on One Piece: Trek!

Luffy: Hey, Aika...you okay?

Aika: ...I guess I'm a bit tired...but I can keep going!

Luffy: Are you sure?

Aika: Uh-huh!

*As Luffy and Aika walk, Aika looks up at Luffy as he taps his stick against his shoulder*

Aika (thinking): _'I still can't tell him...I can't tell him about what I said...'_

*A little while later*

Aika: *pants softly* I don't know why...but suddenly, I feel warm...

Hendrickson: Well, hello there, little girl.

Aika: Uh...who are you?

?: Hey, kid! Watch it!

*Suddenly, a gunshot goes off, causing Luffy to look up*

Luffy: Aika?!

Next time: **Pamela the Harpy**

* * *

Review, please!


	6. Pamela the Harpy

**Ch. 6- Pamela the Harpy**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Story and OCs © Me

* * *

FOREWORD: Before we get started, I just wanna say I am very sorry for the long wait on this chapter. Writer's block can be hell, not to mention that I just didn't wanna rush through this because rushing just means a crappy story...and I don't want a crappy story. I wanna make this flow as smoothly as possible and I wanna wait until Wano is finished until I get started on that, at least. Plus, I also got back into Inuyasha again, not to mention I've been watching the Beastars anime.

Anyway, I hope that this chapter was worth the long wait and hopefully, I will be able to update One Piece: The Fire Within soon, as well.

Enjoy!

* * *

"Oh, the islands in the south are warm~! And their heads get really hot~! They grow a-pineapples, they grow a-coconuts! And they're idiots~!"

Luffy and Aika laughed as they sang their silly song together, the latter following after her older half-brother as he held his "adventurer's stick" in his hand. Luffy noticed that his younger half-sister was feeling rather tense, so he decided to try and see if he could lighten the mood with a little song. It looked like it worked because Aika just couldn't stop giggling.

"You feel better, now, huh, sis?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah, I do!" Aika answered. "Let's sing some more, Big Brother!"

"Right, then! Next verse!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Oh, the islands in the north are snowy~!" the D. Siblings sang together as they kept marching through the forest. As they sang, Aika glanced up at Luffy for a moment as she watched him sing with that big, dopey grin on his face. The same grin that she loved to see...but then, her eyes trailed down to the scar on his side...the scar left behind when Katakuri skewered him with his spear. Even though Aika's smile remained on her face...deep down, her heart clenched at the sight of the scar.

It was a reminder that she was very close to losing her older brother...and a reminder of her hidden desire.

"Aika?"

"Huh?" Aika muttered as she looked up to meet Luffy's eyes.

"You okay?" he asked. "You stopped singing."

"Oh...umm...I guess I got a little distracted by something," said Aika before she smiled up at him. "Sorry. It won't happen, again!"

"Well...if you say so," Luffy shrugged before he kept walking, and Aika followed after him...while snaking her hand inside his, causing him to glance down at her before he smiled and gently tightened his grip around her hand.

_'...I can't tell Big Brother...'_ she thought. _'I can't ever tell him that I don't want him to be a pirate anymore...'_

She squeezed Luffy's hand as she furrowed her brow, brief images of Langstrom attacking the siblings the other day flashing before her eyes.

_'I just want things to stay this way...I don't want Big Brother to fight...I don't want him getting hurt...I just want him to be my Big Brother...forever...'_

Suddenly, there was the sound of a twig snapping, prompting the D. Siblings to stop in their tracks.

"W-what was that?" Aika asked.

"Calm down," Luffy replied. "It's probably just a little forest animal."

As if to confirm his theory, two little foxes came rushing out of the bushes, one of them carrying a dead rabbit in its mouth as they ran. Aika watched them as they ran away...but not long after, she heard a deep growl, which caused her to gasp in fright...until she saw that it was just Luffy's stomach rumbling.

"I think those foxes have the right idea," Luffy said before he looked down at Aika. "You hungry, Aika?"

"...A little bit," Aika admitted.

"Well, I'm sure there's something to eat out here," Luffy said before he walked off. "Come on, sis."

"Where are we going?" Aika asked as she followed Luffy.

"Where else?" Luffy asked. "We're gonna catch us some food!"

XXX

Meanwhile, somewhere in the forest, in a hidden alcove...there sits a ship, anchored inside a large lake that had a big enough tunnel that connected it to the ocean outside. The ship itself was a galleon, at least twice as big as the _Thousand Sunny_ and almost big as a Marine battleship. The figurehead was in the shape of a fierce Harpy Eagle with its wings spread wide. Painted on the ship's mainsail was a picture of an eagle's skull with crossbones behind it and talons outstretched.

Inside the captain's cabin, a shadowy figure sits behind a desk, smoking a cigarette. Mounted up on the wall were various firearms, ranging from pistols to bazookas, machine guns...hell, even an RPG launcher. Also on the wall was a wanted poster of what looked like former Warlord of the Sea, Gekko Moriah...but his face was crossed off.

In the corner, curled up in a soft bed was a black-and-white Husky with a pink rhinestone collar, snoozing softly by her master's side. However, her ears perked up as she heard the sound of footsteps approaching the door, which was soon knocked on.

"Come on in, Mizuki," said the figure, and soon, a girl of at least 13 years entered the room. She had on a pink-and-white striped shirt, a mahogany skirt with brown leggings, a pair of dark brown penny loafers, and a red bandanna with the Jolly Roger on it tied around her dirty blonde hair.

"Captain Pamela," said the girl, Mizuki. "Looks like Langstrom's finally on the move, again."

"Hmph..." the figure scoffed. "What kind of idiot pirate went and pissed him off, now?"

"...It's...Straw Hat Luffy, Captain," Mizuki answered, causing the figure to freeze as she was about to take another drag of her cigarette...which fell right into the ashtray on her desk.

"...Straw Hat Luffy?" she repeated, causing Mizuki to nod while the Husky in her bed blinked up at her master with big, round, icy blue eyes. "That guy's here on my island?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Mizuki.

"...Let's go," Pamela answered as she suddenly sat up from her desk. "Hurry...before that lunatic finds him first!"

XXX

"Big Brother?" Aika asked as she followed Luffy through the forest, carefully climbing down rocks and climbing over logs while Luffy walked on ahead of her. "What are we looking for?"

"Something to eat," Luffy answered. "I already told you this."

"I know that," Aika said. "I mean what kind of thing are we eating?"

"This forest looks pretty big and bountiful," Luffy replied. "Reminds me of when I used to camp out in the jungle with Ace and Sabo. In the morning, we'd go out hunting wild boar and have it for breakfast."

"So...we're looking for boars?" asked Aika.

"Boars, rabbits, deer..." Luffy listed off. "Just any animal, really. As long as it's got meat, we'll hunt it down and have it for breakfast!"

Aika swallowed the lump in her throat. Ironically, even though she could turn into a wolf and wolves were known to hunt down prey, she wasn't quite keen on the idea of actually hunting and killing animals for food. Sure, she would chase things like rats and butterflies at times, but she was more of a catch-and-release kind of girl.

Though she supposed if Luffy did it, it was all right. He was more used to this, so of course, he'd be more than willing to take down any wild beast they came across. Plus, he always seemed to enjoy it, too.

"Aha!" Luffy exclaimed, suddenly, causing Aika to see him kneeling down on the ground. "Aika, look! I found some boar tracks!"

Aika went over to look and saw some large hoofprints in the ground, as well as some crushed roots and dug-up dirt.

"The boar must have been foraging here," Luffy said as he inspected the ground. "They like to eat things like buried nuts and roots and stuff."

"...Do they...also eat meat?" Aika asked.

"Sometimes," Luffy replied. "But only if they're really hungry and really desperate."

Hearing that caused Aika to gulp, nervously.

"I got an idea, Aika," Luffy said. "You go on ahead of me and you flush out the boar."

"M...me?" Aika repeated, worriedly before she glanced down at the boar's hoofprints. "Uh...Big Brother, this boar looks pretty big."

"It'll be fine," Luffy reassured. "If something happens, just scream, okay?"

Aika blinked up at her brother...but then she sighed and nodded her head before she went on ahead of him. She knew that she had no reason to distrust Luffy. After all, he had gotten her out of more than her fair share of scrapes. He wouldn't let anything happen to her.

As Aika went further ahead, disappearing behind the bushes, she looked around, nervously as she tried to spot the boar. Suddenly, she heard a snap coming from somewhere to her right, causing her to gasp as she quickly turned in that direction.

Nothing there...or so she thought, at first...but then, she could have sworn she saw something moving back there, snorting and shuffling around. Furrowing her brow, Aika shifted into her wolf form and began to prowl through the underbrush. Maybe this boar wouldn't be as big as she thought it would be. Besides, a boar wasn't too different from a pig...a big, furry pig with large tusks and a scary roar.

Aika quickly shook her head. No, she wasn't going to be scared of that. She was going to be brave and scare this boar out of hiding. She was a wolf, right? And top of being a wolf, she was also a pirate, and pirates weren't afraid of anything!

...Right?

As Aika continued to sneak up on what she believed was the boar...she didn't realize that it was not really what she was thinking.

"That's right, little wolf..." whispered Hendrickson as he looked through the scope of a bazooka. "Just a little closer..." Soon, he began to pull the trigger...but the click it made caused Aika's ears to perk up as her body tensed.

XXX

"Ugh...jeez, what's taking her so long?" Luffy groaned as he sat on top of a rock. "I'm starving, here!"

**Grrrooooooooooowwwl~!** His stomach roared in agreement, causing him to sigh as he rubbed his belly. As he did, he thought back about what happened yesterday during the encounter with Langstrom.

"That lion guy sure was strong," said Luffy. "He said he could even fight my Grandpa..." He then smirked. "That sounds pretty interesting..."

Suddenly, **KABANG!** A loud shot suddenly rang out, followed by a shrill scream...one that Luffy recognized all too well.

"BIG BROTHER, HELP!"

"AIKA!" Luffy cried as he ran toward where the sound came from.

XXX

Aika panted as she ran through the forest as fast as her wolf paws could take her. As she glanced back, she saw Hendrickson chasing after her with his bazooka in his hand, preparing another round to shoot her with.

"Get back here, you brat!" he shouted.

"Get away from me!" Aika cried as she kept running. "Leave me alone!"

Hendrickson growled as he tried to aim at Aika, again, but she ducked beneath some bushes the moment he fired, and as the shell opened, it revealed a net that was just big enough to catch her in.

"Dammit!" he cursed as he continued his pursuit. "Why can't she just be a good target and stay still?!"

Soon, Aika broke through some shrubs, only to gasp as she found herself standing in front of a huge cliff face with nowhere else to go. Aika shuddered as she attempted to back away, but as she turned around, she saw Hendrickson approaching her from behind, snickering as he held his net bazooka. He soon loaded another round into it before he held it up and aimed it at her, causing the younger D. Carrier to whimper, worriedly.

"Nowhere to run now, kid," said Hendrickson. "Don't worry, though...I'll try to make sure you're returned to the Straw Hats alive...but maybe not unharmed." He then looked through the scope of his bazooka, preparing to pull the trigger.

_'Big Brother, where are you...?!'_ Aika thought.

Then...**BANG!** Aika shrieked as she screwed her eyes shut, awaiting the feeling of a net tangling around her. Instead...she got the sound of a scream of pain. As she opened her eyes, she gasped as she that Hendrickson was holding his wrist while his bazooka was on the ground. The Marine Ensign seethed as he held his hand, then looked around for whoever fired that shot.

"If I were you, I'd back off, you limp-wristed bastard!"

Hendrickson gasped as he looked to his left, prompting Aika to follow his gaze...only to gasp as she saw a tall woman, at least about as tall as Robin with a slender figure. She had brown hair with a magenta bandanna around her neck, as well as a matching buccaneer's coat that dangled off her shoulders like a cape, a bicorn hat with a white feather plume, and a pair of high-heeled, knee-high boots. She wore a dark red T-shirt with a Harpy eagle on the front, as well as a pair of black denim jeans. Her right eye was dark brown while her left eye was covered by an eyepatch...and she had many firearms strapped to her back, including a smoking pistol in her hand.

Beside her stood Mizuki, her dog, Angel, and several other women.

**PAMELA "THE HARPY"**

**CAPTAIN OF THE HARPY PIRATES**

**BOUNTY: 387 MILLION BERRIES**

"Go on!" Pamela shouted as she pointed her pistol at Hendrickson, once more. "Get outta here before I put more holes in ya!"

**BANG-BANG-BANG!** She fired several more rounds at Hendrickson, who yelped in fright before he ran off.

"...Coward," Pamela hissed...but then, **thump!** She gasped as she heard that small thud, causing her to turn and gasp upon seeing, who was back in her human form as she lied on the ground. "Uh-oh...Cassidy!"

"I'm on it, Captain!" a woman with short blonde hair, a red Criminal Brand shirt, a dark brown short skirt, sunglasses, and a revolver attached to her belt as she ran over to Aika and gently picked her up.

"How is she?" asked Pamela.

"I think she just fainted from the shock," said Cassidy.

"HEY!"

The Harpy Pirates turned to see Luffy running up to them...and he did not look the least bit happy.

"What do you think you're doing to my sister?!" Luffy questioned.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, hey!" Pamela cried as she held up her hands. "Take it easy! We don't mean any harm!"

"Huh?" Luffy muttered.

"You're lucky we happened to show up," said Pamela. "Your sister would have gotten captured if we hadn't come along." She then gave him a friendly smile. "Listen...come back to my ship with us. We'll talk there. Maybe we can get you some food, too?"

"You had me at food!" Luffy exclaimed, brightening up instantly. "Let's go!"

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Next time on One Piece: Trek!

Pamela: So listen...I've been wanting to thank you for a long time.

Luffy: Huh? Thank me? But we've never even met.

Pamela: It's because of you that I'm able to even so much as walk under the sun, again.

Luffy: Eh?

*Meanwhile...*

Mizuki: So you say you don't want Straw Hat to be a pirate anymore, huh, kiddo?

Aika: Yeah...

Mizuki: To be honest, I can't blame you...but do you honestly think that not telling him about how you feel will make things better?

Aika: ... ... ...I...I don't really know...

Next time: **Don't Lie**

* * *

Yeah, I know not much happened here, but again, writer's block. Hope you all enjoyed it anyway!

Review, please!


	7. Don't Lie

**Ch. 7- Don't Lie**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Story and OCs © Me

* * *

Later that day, as the _Thousand Sunny_ sailed along the island's shore...

"I don't see the Marines anymore, Nami!" Carrot called from the Crow's Nest. "I think we finally lost them!"

"Good!" Nami replied as she stood at the helm with Brook.

"Looks like it's smooth sailing ahead," Brook said. "We should be able to reach the port town by morning."

"Keep on this course, Brook," said Nami. "Let's hope Luffy, Aika, Sanji, and Blizzard are on their way there, too."

"I'm sure that they are," Brook replied. "They're not the types to give up, you know."

Nami chuckled as she crossed her arms. "Yeah, I ought to know...I'm one of those types."

"Yohohoho!" Brook chortled. "By the way, may I-"

"No," Nami interjected, causing the skeleton to sigh in dejection.

Meanwhile, standing in the doorway of the galley, Derek stood while leaning on a crutch to keep himself balanced. He had just gotten through getting a checkup from Chopper. So far, the little reindeer had given him a clean bill of health. As he stood in the doorway, he watched the banter between the navigator and musician.

_'It's weird,'_ he thought. _'They humor each other like they're really good friends. They're almost like the rest of Langstrom's unit...even in situations like this, they find the time to laugh.'_

He took a look around and saw the damage that had been done to the ship due to Big Mom's attack.

_'Even in spite of everything they went through...'_

"Derek?"

"Huh?" Derek muttered as he realized that Nami was standing beside him.

"You okay?" asked Nami. "You're pretty much just staring into space."

"Oh, I'm fine!" Derek replied. "Thanks for asking."

"If you say so," Nami said as she turned to leave.

"Uh...excuse me, Cat Burglar," said Derek, causing Nami to pause as she glanced back. "You guys don't seem like...typical pirates."

"...Typical pirates, huh?" Nami inquired while putting her hands on her hips. "And what's that mean?"

"Oh! I don't mean any disrespect!" Derek said while raising his hands in defense. "It's just that...when I hear pirate, I think of-"

"Bloodthirsty cutthroats that would sooner throw you overboard than talk rationally?" asked Nami. "Yeah, believe me. I used to think that way, too." She unconsciously placed her hand over her tattoo. "Not anymore, though..."

Derek's eyes softened and he sighed.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories or anything."

"No, you're fine," Nami answered. "So...you still couldn't get into contact with Langstrom?"

"He must be too far inland for me to get a hold of him," Derek answered. "I know he's probably worried to death about me."

"...You must mean a lot to him," said Nami.

"He cares about all his men," Derek replied. "His reputation is almost similar to that of Black Arm Zephyr. They say that the last time a pirate attacked his men without provocation, he destroyed the entire with his own two hands."

"Yikes," Nami muttered, nervously. "No wonder you're trying to call him."

"I just don't want him to end up making a mistake," said Derek. "You see, I owe Langstrom a great debt. He saved my life, a long time ago...and my family, too."

"You have a family?" Chopper asked as he came outside.

"Yeah," Derek answered as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo of a young woman with long, red hair that reached down to her waist, wearing a light blue blouse and a pearl bracelet. Beside her was a young boy wearing a white shirt and a Marine cap on his head, doing the salute as he smiled at the camera.

"Your wife and son?" Nami asked.

"Yeah," Derek smiled. "That's Celia and my son, Keith. They were being held hostage by pirates way back when Keith was barely even walking. I tried to save them, myself, but I ended up getting captured, too...until Langstrom came and saved us all."

"No wonder you're indebted to him," Nami mused. "How old's your son?"

"He's about 4, now," Derek said, "and he's about to be a big brother, soon. Celia and I are expecting a baby girl in a few more months."

"Oh, my god, that's wonderful!" Nami exclaimed.

"Yeah, congratulations!" Chopper added.

"You must be very excited!" Brook chimed in.

"Oh, I am!" Derek added. "But...I'm also worried."

"Why?" asked Nami, causing the Marine Captain to sigh as he scratched the back of his head.

"Well, let me ask you something," he said. "Have you ever had a loved one tell you that they didn't want you to be something you've wanted to be your whole life?"

XXX

Meanwhile, at the Harpy Pirates' ship...the aforementioned pirated crew sat in the galley, gaping in shock as they watched Luffy practically devour everything he could get his hands on. Meat, pasta, bread, rice, and sandwiches disappeared into his mouth, and he showed no signs of stopping.

"This is ridiculous," whispered one of the crew members. "He's already eaten about half our food supply!"

"Shh~!" whispered another. "Don't complain. Captain Pamela said we should give him whatever he wants."

**BUUUUUURRP!** Luffy let out a huge belch before he continued eating.

"Enjoying everything so far?" asked Pamela.

"Yeah, this is really good!" Luffy answered. "It's not as good as Sanji's, though, but still good!"

"That's good," Pamela said. "I'm glad you like it. My cooks worked hard on it."

Soon, Luffy had finished gorging himself before he let out a monstrous belch, then sighed as he patted his rounded stomach.

"Ahh, man, I'm stuffed," he said. "Thanks a lot for the meal."

"It's no problem," Pamela said. "If anything, I should really be thanking you."

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "How come?"

"Well...it's because of you that I'm able to so much as walk underneath the sun, again," answered Pamela.

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked with a tilt of his head, causing the Harpy Pirate Captain to chuckle.

"I guess I should explain," Pamela said. "You see, a long time ago, my crew and I sailed into the Florian Triangle while we tried to navigate through the Paradise half of the Grand Line. We accidentally picked up a barrel and it shot off a flare after we pried it open...sound familiar to you?"

"Hey!" Luffy exclaimed. "That's how those guys at _Thriller Bark_ found us!"

"Yeah," Pamela said with a sigh. "I can't believe how naïve I was, back then. By the time we figured out what happened...it was already too late. We were soon taken prisoner on the giant island ship, _Thriller Bark_." Her eye narrowed, bitterly. "That's when I ran into _him_...Gekko Moriah."

_Flashback_

Pamela, back when she had both her eyes and wasn't wearing a bicorn hat, gasped as she turned and saw the shadowy figure of Gekko Moriah, back when he was a Warlord of the Sea.

"KISHISHIHSIHI!" he cackled as he tried to grab Pamela, who tried to shoot him with one of her rocket launchers...but she yelped as she was suddenly struck by his Brick Bats. Before long, she was soon entangled in the webs of the spider rat zombies, who cackled as Pamela struggled to get away. That's when Moriah held up a pair of scissors...and with a malicious grin, he peeled Pamela's shadow off the floor, held the scissors toward the soles of her boots...and snipped the shadow away from her feet, causing her to gasp as she suddenly lost consciousness.

_Flashback end_

"By the time my crew came to rescue me," said Pamela, "it was already too late to save my shadow." She quietly clenched her fists. "I spent months hiding in the darkness...trying to stay out of the sun for as long as I could." She then looked at Luffy, who stared back at her as she gave him a grateful smile. "So when my shadow came back, I realized somebody must have kicked his fat ass."

"I wanted to kick his ass!" Luffy shouted. "He stole my shadow and my friends' shadows, too!"

"Yeah, I bet," Pamela said. "After that, I wanted to meet you so that I could thank you, personally, for what you did."

Behind her, the other Harpy Pirates whimpered as they comically wept for their captain, one of them even biting on a handkerchief.

"You don't have to thank me," Luffy said. "It's me who should thank you, really. You helped me and my sister."

"The little girl who was with you, right?" asked Pamela. "What are you guys doing, way out here on the island, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well, we were on a camping trip," Luffy answered, "until those stupid Marines interrupted it."

"Dealing with that spineless Hendrickson is one thing," Pamela said, "but you must have done something really bad to piss off Vice-Admiral 'Lion Fist' Langstrom."

"I didn't do anything to that guy!" Luffy shouted. "I just kicked some Marine ass, that's all! They came after us, first! And he thinks that I killed some guy named Derek!"

"100 Slash Derek?!" Pamela questioned. "That guy's Langstrom's right-hand man!"

"I don't understand it," Luffy said. "Why's that lion guy so pissed at me?"

"Well...it's because Langstrom's got a pretty good reputation," said Pamela. "People say he's like a father to his men. He's very protective of them. Any pirate who so much as even looks at them in a bad way is pretty much beaten to death..."

"...Oh," Luffy said.

"Odds are he doesn't know who was really in the right, here," said Pamela. "I do know this much. Once he's like this, he pretty much stops listening to reason. Some people kinda call it cruel, but I guess when it comes to protecting the people you care for, you gotta send a few heads rolling."

"...I wouldn't really say that," Luffy said as he looked down at the floor, his stomach having slimmed down. "I don't really kill my enemies."

"Really?" asked Pamela.

"I'd rather just leave them to be defeated," Luffy explained. "I don't need to take anyone's life to win in a fight."

"...What if it's not about winning a fight?" asked Pamela. "What if you don't have a choice?"

"Huh?" Luffy muttered.

"Let me ask you something," Pamela said. "When it comes right down to it...are you willing to take the life of your enemies if it means protecting the people you care for?"

Luffy's eyes went wide in surprise.

XXX

"So Blizzard's your brother?"

_"Yeah, we were littermates! How is he?"_

"He's doing okay."

In the sickbay, Aika sat on a cot while she chatted with Pamela's dog, Angel, who was excited to know about her oldest brother.

_"Has Blizzard really grown so big that you could ride on his back?" _Angel asked. _"I remember he used to be so much smaller than the rest of us! Who'd have thought that that little white runt would grow so huge?!"_

"Yeah, he's big, all right," Aika said, "but I didn't know that he used to be a runt."

_"I guess he didn't tell you that part, huh?" _Angel asked while wagging her tail. _"Yeah, he tends to leave that part out, sometimes. I don't think there's any shame in it, really. Just because he was smaller than the rest of us doesn't mean we think less of him."_

"That's good," Aika said. "You must love Blizzard a lot, huh?"

_"I love all my brothers and sisters,"_ said Angel. _"Even if I give them grief from time to time. You should know. You and your brother fight a lot, don't you?"_

Aika frowned as she cast her eyes to the floor, causing Angel to blink in concern.

"Umm...actually, Big Brother and I hardly ever fight," said Aika.

"Is that right?"

Aika looked up to see Mizuki walk in with a gentle smile on her face.

"Hey," she greeted. "You feeling okay, now, kiddo?"

"Uh-huh," Aika nodded. "Thanks for helping me, earlier."

"No big deal," said Mizuki. "You're lucky we happened to come along. Of course, Hendrickson's a small fry compared to Langstrom. He's the one we should watch our backs around."

Aika smiled...but her smile soon fell as she looked down at the floor, to Mizuki and Angel's concern.

"What's wrong?" Mizuki asked.

"...Promise you won't tell my Big Brother this?" Aika asked. "I...I kinda want him to come and help me."

"Huh?" Mizuki asked. "Why?"

"Because I don't want him to fight," said Aika.

"What?" Mizuki asked, even more puzzled. "Why? Your brother is pretty strong. I mean...he doesn't have that 1.5 billion-Berry bounty for anything! I mean, he took on Big Mom on her own turf, not to mention took out one of her highest ranking commanders!"

"...And he got a big scar from it, too," Aika pointed out.

"You mean that scar on his hip, right?" Mizuki inquired. "Well...at least it healed up! ...Kinda..."

"That's not the point," said Aika as she hugged her knees. "I...I don't want my Big Brother to fight...and I don't want him to be a pirate, anymore, either."

Mizuki and Angel both glanced at each other, mouths slightly agape before they turned to face the young D. Carrier.

"Why would you say that?" Mizuki asked.

"Because I don't want him to die..." Aika muttered...and almost instantly, Mizuki's eyes softened.

"Aww...I see," she said. "Well, I guess I can see where you're coming from. Being a pirate is a very dangerous thing."

"I know," Aika said. "I know that Big Brother wants to become the King of the Pirates, and...I know that's not fair of me to say, but...it's just how I feel."

"And you never told him this?" asked Mizuki.

"I can't tell him," Aika answered. "He'll hate me."

_"No, he won't," _said Angel._"You're his little sister. You might disagree on something, but that doesn't mean he hates you. I mean...when I was a little puppy, I got into squabbles with my brothers and sisters, all the time, but we always made up in the end. You don't hate Straw Hat...do you?"_

"Of course not!" Aika rebuked. "I could never hate Big Brother! He's the only family I have! I love him!"

"Then he'll understand if you tell him," said Mizuki. "You have to be able to talk to him...don't lie and don't keep things hidden from him, even if you're afraid of what he'll say...otherwise, that shows that you don't trust him at all."

Aika bit her lip as she looked down at the floor, again.

XXX

"Here," Pamela said as she handed Luffy a flintlock pistol. "I got a million of these. You can keep this one."

Luffy took the gun in his hand and stared at it. He seemed almost...apprehensive, which was rare even for him.

"Look, Straw Hat, I won't tell you how to live your life," said Pamela. "I'm just trying to give you some advice, here."

"Why would you give me this?" asked Luffy.

"Well...the way I see it," Pamela began, "it's gonna take more than just your fists to protect the people you care for. Sometimes, in a situation where your life or the life of your crew is at stake, you can't afford to hesitate." She narrowed her eye at him. "If you see an opportunity to pull the trigger...then you _have_ to take it."

Luffy stared down at the gun in his hands...his brow furrowing in contemplation. In all honesty, he had never used a gun...at least not to kill. Sure, there was that one time during the assault on Golden Lion Shiki's palace, not to mention those Davy Back Fights, but he never really took a fatal shot at anybody. He didn't really believe in killing anybody.

As Luffy opened his mouth to speak...the ship suddenly rocked, causing everyone standing in the room to grab onto something, just to keep balanced.

"What the hell was that?!" Pamela questioned.

"Straw Hat!" a familiar voice called from outside. "Come out of there! You and Harpy Eagle, both!"

Luffy gasped before he clenched his teeth.

"It's the Lion Guy!" he exclaimed.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Next time on One Piece: Trek!

Pamela: If you want Straw Hat, you'll have to go through me, first! *holds up her rocket launcher*

Langstrom: *in his lion form* Very well, Harpy Eagle...I'll entertain you a bit first before I capture you!

Mizuki: *is trying to help Luffy and Aika escape* You guys get out of here! We'll be fine by ourselves!

Luffy: Are you guys sure about this?!

Mizuki: You need to get back to your crew! Trust me, we'll be okay!

Luffy: ...I guess.

*Pamela is lying on the ground, bloodied and beaten while Langstrom towers over her*

Langstrom: This will end it...

?: Hey!

Langstrom: *turns around* What?! Who are you?!

Sanji: *is sitting on Blizzard's back* A man who came to the call of a woman's aid!

Pamela: *rolls her eye* Oh, brother...

Next time: **The Prince Arrives**

* * *

Sorry about the long wait, but here's the new chapter! Hope you guys enjoy it! And don't worry, there's gonna be lots of action next chapter!

Review, please!


	8. The Prince Arrives

**Ch. 8- The Prince Arrives**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Story and OCs © Me

* * *

"Straw Hat!" Langstrom roared as he punched at the wall of the Captain's Cabin, creating a sizeable crack. "Come out of there, right now!"

Inside the galley, Luffy and Pamela both looked up as they heard all the commotion.

"Dammit!" Luffy cursed. "I should have known he'd follow me!"

"One thing about that Langstrom," Pamela said. "Nothing gets in his way!"

"Captain! What are your orders?!" asked Cassidy.

"First off," Pamela began, "make sure that Straw Hat's sister is safe!"

"Right!" Cassidy nodded before she ran to the sickbay where Aika, Mizuki, and Angel were waiting.

At that moment, two huge paws suddenly ripped into the doorway and wrenched the door right off, revealing Langstrom standing behind it...and if Luffy thought he looked pissed before, then this looked like a whole other level of pissed. This Zoan-type user's eyes were glowing a deep, bloody red, and the growl he emitted was so low that he almost sounded demonic. Steam seemed to seep from the lion-man's clenched fangs as he seethed with rage and veins were bulging from his forehead.

"Oh, shit...!" Pamela cursed. "He's in Awakened Mode!"

"What?!" Luffy questioned.

"Listen," Pamela said. "You've been to Impel Down, right? Then you must have clashed with the Jailer Beasts while you were there!"

"Yeah, I remember," Luffy said as he remembered his fight with Minotaurus in Impel Down, as well as the rest of the Jailer Beasts. "That cow guy really beat me up, but I got even with him and his buddies!"

"Well, Langstrom's no different!" Pamela answered. "In this state, he's just about as wild and unpredictable as any lion! If you're gonna engage him, you better watch your step!"

"How bad he could he-" Luffy started, only to gag as Langstrom suddenly caught his throat in his hand and he was pinned to the wall, which shattered upon impact! "...Yep...! Dumb question!"

"BIG BROTHER!" Aika cried in horror, having been behind the wall the whole time while Mizuki, Angel, and Cassidy all gaped in shock.

"Oh, shit!" Cassidy cursed.

"Rrrgh...get...OFF OF ME!" Luffy yelled as he kicked Langstrom in the stomach, causing him to go crashing through the wall back outside to the deck, allowing the Straw Hat Captain to stand up and crack his knuckles, which caused Aika to gasp quietly.

"Big Brother...!" she whispered.

"This time, I'm leaving nothing to chance!" Luffy exclaimed. "I'm kicking that lion guy's ass all the way to Kingdom Come!"

A loud gasp escaped from Aika's mouth. Already, she could picture it...Luffy going head-to-head with Langstrom, who let out a vicious roar as he threw his claws at her older half-brother...and jutting out of his back as they penetrated his rubbery flesh, his claws stained red with his blood.

"NO!" Aika screamed before she ran up and grabbed Luffy's leg, to his surprise.

"What the-?!" Luffy questioned. "Aika, what are you-"

"DON'T FIGHT HIM, BIG BROTHER!" Aika shouted. "PLEASE, DON'T DO IT!"

Luffy gasped silently, his eyes going wide in shock while Aika whimpered, realizing what she had just said. Pamela and her crew blinked in disbelief at what they just heard while Angel nervously swallowed the lump in her throat, her tail drooping down between her legs. Before Luffy could open his mouth to speak, he gasped as he heard Langstrom's vicious growl, the lion-man attempting to stand back up from the kick that the Straw Hat Captain gave him. Luffy's brow furrowed before he turned to Aika, who looked up at him, worriedly.

"Aika, I'm sorry," he said, "but I have to go. If I don't fight him, he'll destroy this place!"

With that, he turned to leave...but the moment he turned around, he suddenly yelled in pain as he felt something pierce into his right hand, causing him to look down, only to gasp in utter shock.

Aika was in her wolf form...biting his hand so hard that blood seeped from the open wound.

"W...what the...?!" Luffy stammered while Aika gasped and backed away in horror.

"B...Big Brother, I...I...!" she stuttered, trying and failing to find the words to say.

"Straw Hat...!" Langstrom growled as he entered the room, forcing the others to back away.

"Damn...!" Pamela cursed before she turned to Luffy. "Straw Hat! You take your sister and run! I'll hold him off for you, okay?!"

"But-" Luffy started.

"Just go!" Pamela shouted before she grabbed her bazooka and her pistol. "I'll buy you some time!"

Luffy opened his mouth to argue...but then he sighed and reluctantly turned away before he glanced down at Aika, who swallowed the lump in her throat as she backed away. He then looked at Pamela before nodding his head.

"Be careful," he told her.

"Can't promise anything," Pamela began, "but I'll try."

With that, Luffy grabbed Aika, tucked her up under his armpit, and ran past Langstrom, who turned and growled as he attempted to chase after the D. Siblings, but then, **KABANG!** He roared as he felt a bullet graze his ear, causing him to turn and glare at Pamela, who held her pistol in her left hand and her bazooka in her right. Behind her, the Harpy Pirates stood, holding various firearms of their own.

"So...you're all going to take me on, then?" asked Langstorm, a deep snarl emanating from his throat.

"Captain, are you certain of this?" asked Cassidy. "There's a chance we'll end up destroying our own ship."

"...So be it," Pamela replied as she pointed her bazooka at Langstrom...and pulled the trigger.

XXX

Concurrently, as the sounds of gunfire went off behind them, Mizuki led Luffy and Aika to the aft of the ship. They soon jumped off and Mizuki ran over to a rock wall, covered in moss. However, she grunted as she pushed it aside, revealing a hidden tunnel behind it.

"You guys get outta here!" Mizuki told them. "We'll be fine by ourselves!"

"Are you sure about this?!" Luffy asked. "That lion guy is pretty strong!"

"Don't worry about us!" Mizuki answered. "You two need to get back to your crew! Trust me, we'll be okay!" She then glanced down at Aika, who looked at her worriedly. "Besides...you two have something you need to work out."

Aika whimpered, worriedly while Luffy heaved a sigh and nodded his head at Mizuki, who nodded back at him. Soon, the D. Siblings turned and through the tunnel, while Mizuki closed it behind them, then, after pulling out a pistol from her belt, she headed back to the ship to join in the fight.

XXX

Meanwhile, on the _Sunny_...

"Your wife doesn't want you to be a Marine?" asked Nami, causing Derek to sigh as he looked up at the sky.

"We've actually had this conversation a lot of times," Derek answered. "I guess I can't blame Celia for thinking the way she does." He looked down at his stubby leg. "I mean...how am I gonna explain this to her and my son, next time I see them?"

"I get what you mean," Nami replied. "I guess Celia's pretty worried about you, huh?"

"Especially since she's pregnant again," Chopper added.

"She worries about me every day," Derek answered. "I'm not at home very much, so I don't really know what goes on...but...she's part of the reason I became a Marine. You see, Celia and I met when were just teenagers. I was pretty reckless and always got myself into some kind of trouble. My parents would scold me and say I wasn't doing anything with my life...but Celia was always the first one to come to my defense. She'd even bandage up my wounds if I got hurt."

"Aww, that's so sweet," Nami smiled.

"One day," Derek began, "I noticed that Celia was late to come and see me, so I went looking for her...but when I found her, her parents had been killed...and she was being dragged off by some creeps that were going to try and sell her off to an auction house."

Nami gasped in horror, and up in the Crow's Nest, Carrot also couldn't help but overhear, and needless to say, she also looked disgusted.

"No way was I about to let that happen," said Derek with a fierce look in his eyes, "so I jumped onto their boat and beat up every last one of them. Got beat up pretty bad, too. One of them tried to stab me in the back, but I wasn't going to go down, that easily. I grabbed the nearest thing I could use: a rifle...and then I slammed the butt of it into the ringleader's head. He didn't get back up after that."

"...Whoa...!" Chopper whispered in awe.

"Good heavens!" Brook exclaimed, having also come to listen to the story. "Sounds like a riveting tale of heroics!"

"And all to save the girl you loved," Nami smiled.

"Heh," Derek smiled. "Yeah..." He then exhaled through his nose. "It was then that I realized that...I wanted to become a Marine. I wanted to be able to protect people like Celia from scumbags like those human traffickers. So I went to the training camp where I was taught by Old Man Zephyr...and lemme tell you, he put me and several other soldiers through the wringer...but it was all worth it in the end...at least, that's what I thought."

"...That incident you mentioned where Celia and your son were kidnapped by pirates," Nami started, "is that where she started having her concerns?"

Derek paused. He quietly ran his fingers through his hair, trying to think of what to say...then he sighed.

"Yeah," he admitted. "A few months after that, when Keith turned one...Celia came up to me and she asked me 'Derek, do you think that all this is worth it?'"

"And...what did you tell her?" Brook asked.

"I told her the only thing I could think of," Derek replied. "I told her that while my job was dangerous, it was something I chose to be, come what may...and I told her that the reason why I do what I do is so that I can protect innocent civilians...and I'm not talking about those corrupt World Nobles or those entitled idiots who think that they have more priority over everyone else. I know the world's not black-and-white. I know how things are. Even Langstrom knows!"

The Straw Hats all stared at Derek in awe at what he had said. Among all of the Marines they had ever encountered, he was one of the few who actually knew what really went on behind their walls.

"The reason I became a Marine was so that I could protect innocent people...like Celia and Keith," Derek said. "I wanted them to know even when I wasn't there...I fight hard to protect them. Celia understands that, perfectly...but it doesn't stop her from worrying about me."

"...That's not such a thing, though, is it?" asked Brook.

"No...far from it," Derek answered. "Celia worries about me because she loves me...and I love her and Keith, too, and our baby that hasn't even been born yet. I worry about her just as much as she worries about me, every day! But she knows she can't make me stay at home with her, as much as she would like to, because she understands that that's not fair to me."

"Wow," Nami whispered. "She's really devoted to you."

"We're devoted to each other," Derek replied, "and when I go home, next time...I'm gonna take her in my arms and give her one hell of a kiss."

"Awww..." Chopper cooed while Brook quietly wept, tears pouring from his eye sockets.

"That just melts my heart," he said. "Even though I don't have one. Yohohoho!"

"Then I wish you the best of luck, Derek," Nami smiled.

"Thanks," Derek grinned back. "You know...I never thought I'd be telling my life's story to a crew of pirates."

"We get that a lot," Nami mused.

XXX

Back at the Harpy Pirates' ship...it looked like things had taken a pretty grim turn. Some of Pamela's crew lied scattered along the deck, some of them in crumpled heaps...and as for Pamela, she panted as her right temple bled. Langstrom looked like he had taken quite a bit of damage as well. His right ear was bleeding and he had several bullet holes in his left leg...and yet, he was still standing.

"RAAAAAAAARRGH!" Pamela roared as she fired her bazooka multiple times at Langstrom, who dropped down on all fours and ran to avoid the blasts. He growled as he charged at her, fangs bared and claws outstretched, but Pamela continued to open fire. A few bullets actually managed to graze his left arm, tearing his suit, but the lion-man kept charging, picking up speed with each sprint. Then, with a roar, he lunged for the Harpy Pirate Captain, who gasped as she ducked down to avoid getting her face slashed by his claws. As she strafed to the side, she held up her pistol and attempted to shoot again, but Langstrom turned and smacked the gun out of her hand.

"Captain!" Mizuki cried while Angel ran up and bit Langstrom's neck, attempting to tear out his carotid artery. However, thanks to his thick mane, she couldn't get a good grip on his throat. Langstrom growled as he grabbed Angel and tossed her aside like she was a ragdoll, the black-and-white wolf-dog sliding across the deck. Pamela gasped before she slammed the heel of her boot into Langstrom's jaw, then somersaulted from beneath him. The rest of the Harpy Pirates attempted to shoot at the Vice Admiral from the upper deck, but he quickly jumped out of the way of their shots and leaped at them, causing them to scream as they backed off.

"Back off!" Pamela shouted as she fired her pistol at Langstrom's ear, again, but this time, he managed to avoid the shot as he ducked his head down, then turned and growled at Pamela. He roared as he lunged at her again, and Pamela attempted to shoot one more time...but she was soon pinned down by the lion-man.

"Captain!" Mizuki cried in horror while Langstrom opened his mouth, preparing to bite down on her skull...but just as he was about to do so...

"HEY!"

Langstrom turned around...only to get kicked in the face by a blazing leg, causing him to roar in pain as he collided with the wall behind him. As Pamela looked up, she gasped silently as she saw a blonde man, standing in front of her with his back turned, a cigarette in his mouth. Next to him stood a white wolf wearing a scarf around his neck with a large cross-shaped scar on his left shoulder and a stitched-up scar on the right side of his nose.

"What the-?!" Langstrom growled as he stood up. "Who are you?!"

Sanji stood before Langstrom, taking a drag of his cigarette before he blew out a puff of smoke.

"A man who heeded the call of a woman's aid," he said.

"...Oh, no," Pamela muttered with a roll of her eyes. "Not another one of these dipshits."

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Next time on One Piece: Trek.

Langstrom: So...you've chosen to fight me, as well...Vinsmoke Sanji?

Sanji: *kicks Langstrom in the jaw* I AM _NOT _A VINSMOKE!

Blizzard: _Yikes!_

Pamela: I don't remember asking for help, dumbass! ...But thanks, anyway.

Sanji: No problem...and perhaps in exchange, you can tell me where my captain and his sister went.

Pamela: *smiles* Sure.

*Meanwhile, it has started raining again, and Luffy and Aika are sitting underneath a rock together, the latter looking guilty*

Luffy: Aika?

Aika: *looks at him, sadly*

Luffy: We gotta talk...now.

Next time: **The Truth**

* * *

I'm pretty proud of this one. Hope you guys liked it!

Review, please!


	9. The Truth

**Ch. 9- The Truth**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Story and OCs © Me

* * *

Langstrom growled as he glared at Sanji, who glared right back at him while Blizzard stood at his side. Pamela sat behind the pair, holding an injured Angel, who was rather surprised at the appearance of her littermate. As for the rest of the Harpy Pirates...some of them blushed upon seeing Sanji, who seemed to shine in front of them like he was a knight in shining armor.

"So cool...!" some of the crew members whispered with starry eyes, which caused Pamela to roll her eye.

"Gimme a freakin' break..." Pamela grumbled.

_"Blizzard, it's you...!"_ Angel whispered in surprise.

_"Hey, sis,"_ Blizzard replied. _"Long time, no see, wouldn't you say?"_

_"I'll say,"_ Angel agreed, only to gasp as she saw Langstrom charge. _"Watch out!"_

Sanji and Blizzard both turned around just in time to block Langstrom, who tried to bite and claw at them with his Haki-imbued claws and fangs. However, with their combined efforts, the two Straw Hats managed to push him back, much to the Vice Admiral's growing frustration. The lion-man attempted to lunge at Sanji, who raised his foot and kicked Langstrom right in the jaw, and while he did that, Blizzard caught his tail in his teeth and then threw him on to the deck, causing him to grunt from the shock. Sanji then stood up on both hands and attempted to give a Haki-powered kick to Langstrom's skull, but he jumped out of the way before he could do so, then he raised his claws and slashed them at the Straw Hat cook, who dodged by bending backwards. The only thing that got sliced was Sanji's cigarette.

Soon, Sanji and Blizzard both jumped back from Langstrom, who snarled viciously in frustration.

"Are you all right, miss?" asked Sanji as he glanced back at Pamela, who glared back at him.

"I was until you showed up," Pamela muttered. "I was handling Langstorm on my own, just fine!"

"I just thought I'd come to help-" Sanji started, only for Pamela to cut him off.

"Now you listen here!" she spat. "I know your type! You're one of those men who think that women are nothing but fragile little things that need to be protected all the damn time!"

"Hmph..." Langstrom scoffed. "I recognize you, now...Vinsmoke Sanji."

Hearing that caused Sanji to tense a bit.

"You're currently wanted for 330 million berries," Langstrom continued, "due to your involvement in the attempted assassination of Big Mom and-"

**BAM!** Before he could finish that sentence, the lion-man was suddenly kicked in the jaw by a blazing foot, sending him crashing into the wall, once again!

"What the hell?!" Mizuki questioned. "How strong is this guy?!"

"Do NOT call me Vinsmoke!" Sanji shouted with a furious look in his eyes. "I refuse to have anything to do with that accursed name, dammit!"

_"Yikes...!"_ Blizzard whispered in slight fear while Angel blinked in disbelief.

"Sheesh..." Pamela muttered. "Someone has family issues."

"Sorry for the interruption," Sanji said. "Now, listen...I'm sure you could have handled this guy on your own...but still, Blizzard and I just thought we'd come and help since we were nearby...that's all."

"So cool~!" the Harpy Pirates exclaimed as they continued to gaze at Sanji (who inwardly appreciated the admiration).

"All of you, be quiet!" barked Pamela, causing her crew to shrink back before she glared at Sanji. "And as for you! I don't remember asking for _your_ help!"

Sanji blinked at Pamela...who sighed before she smiled.

"But...thanks, anyway," she said. "Sorry for snapping. Being so damn proud as a woman, I often find it hard when a man comes to help me...but since your captain saved my life, way back when, I'll swallow my pride this time."

"Our captain, huh?" Sanji asked before he grinned. "Well...you can make this up to me by telling me where he and his little sister went."

Pamela smiled...but then she gasped as she saw Langstrom getting up, once again.

"Dammit, he just won't give up!" she cursed.

"...I won't give in," Langstrom seethed. "I won't stop until Captain Derek gets his righteous vengeance!"

"Who's Derek?" asked Sanji.

"I'll explain later," Pamela said, worriedly. "Listen, if you're serious about this, you might wanna beat this guy first before you go find your captain!"

"That's probably a good idea," said Sanji.

_"Sanji, here he comes!"_ Blizzard shouted, just as Langstrom charged again, giving a powerful roar as he outstretched his claws!

XXX

Meanwhile, Luffy and Aika panted as they kept running through the forest, the former in her wolf form as she kept sprinting as fast as her legs would allow. They had been running for quite some time now and hadn't stopped to rest quite yet. Occasionally, Luffy would look back to see if anyone had pursued them, but so far, they were in the clear.

Just to be safe, though, they continued to run further and further until they reached the embankment of a river. Not long after they made it there, the clouds rumbled in the sky again, indicating the beginning of another rainstorm. Not five seconds later, raindrops began trickling down from the sky, lightly at first, but as it progressed, it started to turn into a downpour.

Luffy and Aika soon took shelter beneath an outcropping of rocks, waiting out the storm, the former leaning back against one while the latter, who had morphed back into her human form, sat beside him with her wrapped around her knees with a guilty expression on her face. Luffy glanced down at his right hand, which had been wrapped up in cloth to stop the bleeding...and an expression of concern and confusion appeared on his face.

The last time Aika bit him like that, it was back at Dressrosa, when she was worried over her significance as a member of the Straw Hats. Whatever had been bothering her...he realized now it had nothing to do with feeling neglected.

Whenever Aika bit him like this...it was her way of crying for help.

"...Aika," Luffy spoke up, causing Aika to gasp silently as she looked up at him. "We need to talk."

Aika gulped nervously, knowing what was coming now.

"What's been going on with you?" Luffy asked. "You haven't bitten me like that since what happened at Dresrrosa!"

"I...I didn't mean-" Aika started, only to get cut off.

"I know you didn't mean it," Luffy began, "but Aika...what happened? What's really been going? I have a feeling this isn't about you and me not spending enough time together."

"I...it's just..." Aika stammered, but the words seemed to get caught in her throat, causing her to swallow thickly.

"...Aika," Luffy said as he sat down beside her. "Is there something you're not telling me? Don't you love me?"

"Of course, I love you!" Aika cried. "It's because I love you that...that I...!" She bit her lip, feeling her eyes sting as tears began to form in them.

"Aika...?" Luffy asked.

"...You wanna know why I stopped you?" Aika asked. "Because...I don't want you to fight."

"Why not?" Luffy asked.

"Because...you've already fought enough," Aika answered. "Back in Big Mom's territory...with that mochi guy."

"...Oh..." Luffy realized. "With Katakuri, you mean."

"Yeah..." Aika nodded as her tears began to fall down her cheeks.

"But I don't understand," Luffy said. "What does he have to do with any of this?"

"...Big Brother, he almost killed you," Aika replied, tearfully, causing Luffy to gasp quietly before he glanced down at the scar that was placed on him by Katakuri's spear. "He was really strong...almost too strong, even for you...! What if you fought that lion guy...and...and...!"

"...I get it," Luffy said. "Aika...you're afraid that I'll get killed...aren't you?"

"Mm-hmm...!" Aika nodded, sniffling as her nose started to run. "Big Brother...I know that you wanted to be a pirate...I know you wanna be King of the Pirates, one day...but...now that your bounty's bigger, that means you'll run into even more who will wanna fight you...what if you fight someone who's so strong...that you can't beat them?! What if you...what if you die?!" She then broke down sobbing, causing Luffy to look down at her, sadly.

"Aika..." he whispered.

"...I didn't wanna tell you this," Aika said, "and please...promise me you won't hate me...!" She then looked up at Luffy, who stared at her. "Big Brother...I...I don't want you to be a pirate, anymore!"

Luffy's widened while Aika continued to sob, furiously trying to wipe her tears. Up in the clouds, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed as if emphasizing with the girl's pain. As for Luffy, he sat there, staring at his younger half-sister, unsure of what to say.

What could he say to something like that?

It was at that moment that Luffy thought back to the days of his childhood, growing up on Mt. Corvo with Ace after they thought that Sabo had been killed at sea. He remembered how he used to cry a lot whenever he was alone...and how Ace would bop him on the head for crying or for making him worry. Back then, Luffy used to think that Ace was just being a bully...but he realized that was just his way of showing his affection.

With a deep breath, Luffy put on a determined face. He had made his decision.

While Aika kept crying, Luffy held up his fist to his mouth and breathed on it. Then, he raised it up and...**BAP!** He threw it down right on Aika's skull, causing her to yelp in both surprise and pain as a large bump formed on her crown.

"O...oww~!" she cried as she held the swollen goose egg, then looked up at Luffy, who glared at her with a stern face. "B...Big Brother, what did you do that for?! Why did you hit me?!"

"Because you need to learn how to be tough!" Luffy shouted, causing her to gasp. "I'm tired of you, always crying and making a big deal out of nothing!"

"B...but I...!" Aika started.

"Listen here, Aika!" Luffy spat as he pointed a finger at her. "If you're gonna keep bawling because you're so worried about me, you won't ever make it as a pirate! You said it yourself, you wanna be stronger, don't you?!"

"Y...yeah, but-" Aika began.

"But nothing!" Luffy interjected. "Stop being so damn wishy-washy! You're the younger sister of the man who's gonna be King of the Pirates! That should make you realize how strong you should be!"

Aika gasped quietly at that.

"I believe that you can get stronger," Luffy began, "but it doesn't matter if you don't believe in me?! You get it?!"

Aika's eyes went wide while Luffy smirked.

"So...you still think I shouldn't be a pirate anymore?" Luffy asked.

A pause...but then Aika sniffled as she wiped her eyes. Luffy sat next to her, waiting for her answer. Inwardly, he hoped he didn't go too far, though. Aika wasn't a boy like him, so maybe that hit to the head was a little much...

...Until Aika smiled at him, her face stained with tears...but she smiled warmly, nonetheless, which caused Luffy to smile back at her.

"...Come here," he said as he opened his arms, prompting Aika to run up and hug him, tightly. "...I'm sorry I hit you."

"It's okay," Aika replied. "I needed it."

At that moment, the clouds rumbled as they began to roll away...revealing beams of sunlight, and as Aika looked up, she gasped in awe.

"Big Brother, look at that!" she exclaimed, causing Luffy to look up...and see a beautiful rainbow, arching across the sky.

"Wow...!" Luffy whispered in amazement. "You don't see that every day!"

Aika looked up at Luffy, who grinned as he ruffled her hair, causing her to laugh.

At last...the bond between brother and sister was reborn.

XXX

Back on the _Sunny_...

"Hey, Nami!" Carrot called from the Crow's Nest. "I think I see some buildings up ahead! I think we're almost there!"

"Looks like it, Carrot!" Nami answered as she looked through the binoculars.

"I can't believe we made it this far," Derek said.

"Indubitably!" Brook concurred. "Hopefully, Luffy and Aika, as well as Sanji and Blizzard are there, waiting for us!"

"We actually haven't heard word from Sanji and Blizzard for a while," Nami said. "I sure hope they've found them."

"I wouldn't sell them short, just yet," said Derek. "If they're anything like you say they are, I'm sure that they've found them."

"Thanks," Nami smiled. "Never thought I'd hear compliments from a Marine, though."

"Don't get used to it," Derek replied with a wink, causing Nami and Brook to laugh. "By the way, where's your doctor?"

"Chopper's in the sickbay, making your prosthetic leg," said Nami.

"I see," Derek nodded. "It would help me to get around a bit."

"Carrot!" Nami called. "Can you go and check on Chopper for us?"

"Okay!" Carrot answered before she leapt down from the Crow's Nest and headed inside the galley to the sickbay. However, about 5 seconds later, the group heard an ear-piercing scream, causing them to turn around.

"Carrot?!" Nami questioned, only to gasp as she saw the Rabbit Mink come outside...raising her hands up as several Marine soldiers came out, pointing their guns at her from behind.

"H...help...!" Carrot squeaked.

"What the-?!" Derek questioned. "How did they get here?!"

"Surprise~!"

Nami, Brook, and Derek gasped as Hendrickson soon came out from behind the soldiers while he had something slung over his shoulder...and a closer look revealed that it was a sea prism stone net with Chopper trapped inside!

"Ugh...help, guys...!" Chopper groaned.

"Chopper!" Nami cried.

"Hendrickson!" Derek shouted.

"I'm afraid this is the end of the line for you, Straw Hats," said Hendrickson. "Especially you, Derek..." He then chuckled darkly while Nami, Brook, and Derek all glared at him.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Next time on One Piece: Trek

Derek: Hendrickson! Just wait until Langstrom hears about this!

Hendrickson: He won't hear of it! As far as he knows, you're dead! *points a gun at him* And I intend to keep it that way.

Nami: Listen...I have a plan, but it's risky.

*Meanwhile*

Aika: Big Brother! I can see the town up ahead!

Luffy: Finally! We're almost there!

Aika: Yay! I can't wait to see Big Sis Nami and the others!

Luffy: Shishishi!

*Not far from them*

Langstrom: So...you're all headed to the town, are you? *grins* Perfect...then we'll settle things there.

Next time: **Convergence**

* * *

Finally updated this one, and good news, we're almost finished!

Review, please!


	10. Convergence

**Ch. 10- Convergence**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Story and OCs © Me

* * *

Author's Note: Again, I want to apologize for taking so long with this. I was in a slump for a very long time and I couldn't figure out what to do...but then a great friend of mine gave me some important words of encouragement and I found myself able to do this again, especially since I'm almost finished with it.

This chapter might be a little bit rushed, but I did the best that I could and I tried to make it seem like it would work. And don't worry, I still plan on doing my rendition of Wano when this is over.

That being said...I hope you enjoy. :)

* * *

"Big Brother! This way!"

Luffy followed the sound of Aika's voice as she ran ahead of him, giggling in delight as she jumped up on to some rocks, where she could easily survey the land ahead.

"Big Brother, look!" she called as Luffy soon came and stood by her side, and that's when they saw it: a large town with a huge clock tower in the middle and several buildings with terracotta shingles on the rooftops, and beyond that were rows of piers where ships were docked.

"It's the town!" Luffy exclaimed.

"We're almost there!" Aika said, excitedly, causing her older half-brother to smile at her. "That means Big Sis Nami and the others are waiting there, too!"

Luffy couldn't help smiling warmly at his younger half-sister. Ever since she finally told him the truth about how she had been feeling lately, it was like she was a new person...no...she wasn't a new person. This was the same Aika that he knew and loved for so long and missed so dearly.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Aika asked. "Let's go, Big Brother!"

"Right! Come on!" Luffy said as they began to climb down the slope. "I wonder if Nami and the others are doing okay."

XXX

Contrary to what Luffy had thought, Nami and her group were definitely NOT okay. They were completely surrounded and outnumbered, and Hendrickson had Chopper caught in a sea prism stone net. It seemed that there was no way out for any of them.

"Hendrickson, you bastard!" Derek shouted. "Wait until Langstrom hears about what you've been-"

"Langstrom won't hear of any of it!" shouted Hendrickson. "As far as he knows, you're still dead..." He grinned as he pointed a pistol at the Marine Captain. "And I intend to keep it that way."

"Why are you doing this, sir?!" Brook asked. "We haven't done anything to warrant such an attack!"

"Yeah! We're just trying to get to our friends!" Carrot added.

"You are a crew of notorious pirates!" Hendrickson shouted. "The bounty on all of your heads is a very high price, indeed! Well...except for the raccoon dog, but who am I to sneer at a quick hundred?"

"I'm a reindeer...!" Chopper complained, groggily.

"I'll capture you all first," Hendrickson began, "and then use you all as leverage to get Straw Hat Luffy to surrender! Once I have him, I'll capture the rest of you pirates and then turn you all in to the World Government." He chuckled maliciously as he held his pistol. "Just imagine it...all of you, placed on the execution scaffold in chains. A whole crowd gathers, watching and waiting for the blades to come down...and when your heads go rolling, the world will cheer at your deaths...just like they did for Portgas D. Ace and Whitebeard, two years ago."

The Straw Hats visibly sneered at that, but Derek and Carrot were the only ones who noticed.

"And who will they have to thank for their arrest and eventual execution?" asked Hendrickson. "Who else but me...Hendrickson, the Legendary Marine that singlehandedly took down the Straw Hat Pirates! At least...that's what I'll tell the press."

"You bastard...!" Nami hissed.

"Oh, don't take it to heart, my dear Cat Burglar," said Hendrickson. "After all, you'll go down in history as the ones who got me promoted to Vice-Admiral! Hell...I might even become Fleet Admiral! GEHAHAHAHAHA!"

Derek's eyes narrowed while Carrot and Brook sneered...but Nami, she glanced over at the others.

"Psst...!" she whispered, gaining their attention. "Listen...I have a plan, but it's risky."

"What are you gonna do...?" asked Derek.

"Just trust me..." Nami whispered...and it was at that moment that Derek noticed that she had her shrunken Sorcery Clima-Tact in her hand...and he also saw little black clouds above the ship.

"Nami...?" Brook whispered. "What's going on?"

"Get ready to run..." Nami whispered.

"Hmm?" Hendrickson hummed. "What's that you said, just now?"

"I said...THUNDER TRAP!" Nami yelled as she swung her staff down, causing the thunderclouds around Hendrickson to suddenly encircle him. In his surprise, he accidentally dropped Chopper, who grunted as he hit the deck...just before the Marine Ensign was met with a powerful electric shock, along with the other Marines on board!

"RUN!" Nami yelled as she pulled Chopper out of the net, then jumped off the ship with Brook, Carrot, and Derek following her, all of them bolting towards the town.

"So that was your plan?!" Derek asked as he tried to keep up as best as he could with just one leg and his crutch to hobble on.

"It got us away from those guys, didn't it?!" Nami asked.

"Ugh..." Hendrickson groaned as he tried to stand up, his body charred to a crisp from the lightning strike. "Damn them!" He then turned to the electrocuted Marines. "Don't just stand there! Go after them!"

XXX

Concurrently, in the forest where Pamela and the Harpy Pirates were...it was soon revealed that the all-female pirate crew were all lying about their ship...while Langstrom, sporting a bloody jaw and temple, stood amongst them in his human form.

"Damn...Black Leg and White Wolf escaped..." he muttered as he glanced down at Pamela, who groaned as she lied on the deck, sporting large claw marks on her right bicep and her hat missing from her head. "If you hadn't gotten in the way..."

_Flashback_

"TAKE THAT!" Sanji yelled as he kicked Langstrom in the jaw with a blazing foot, causing blood to spray out from his clenched teeth, but the Vice-Admiral refused to yield, for he soon turned and kicked him in the stomach, using Armaments Haki for good measure. The resulting force of the attack sent Sanji crashing right into the wall behind him before he collapsed on the deck, coughing a good amount of blood. Blizzard barked ferociously as he tried to attack the Vice-Admiral from behind, but the lion-man roared as he back-handed the wolf-dog right in his jaw before sending him down to the deck, as well.

"Ugh...damn...!" Sanji cursed as he held his side. "So this is the power of an Awakened Zoan user."

_'This is bad...I'm pretty sure he cracked some of my ribs...!'_

Langstrom growled as he glowered down at Sanji, his eyes flashing red as he prepared to go in for the attack, once again, but as he advanced, he was suddenly bashed in the back of his head by the butt of Pamela's bazooka, causing him to stumble for a moment before he turned and glared at her.

"Hey! Don't just stand there!" Pamela shouted at Sanji. "You and White Wolf, get going! Your captain's probably headed to town by now!"

"Miss Pamela!" Sanji exclaimed.

"Don't worry about me! Just go!" Pamela demanded as she held up her bazooka at Langstrom, who growled as he turned to glare at her.

"...Be safe," Sanji said before he put his thumb and index finger in his mouth, giving a sharp whistle, which prompted Blizzard to spring to his paws and rush to the blonde cook, who grabbed onto him as he dashed by.

_"Blizzard!"_ Angel called as she watched her brother run away.

_"Angel, are you coming?!"_ asked Blizzard as he stopped beside her.

_"I can't! I have to stay and protect Pamela!"_ Angel answered. _"You go find your captain!"_

_"You be careful, then,"_ Blizzard said before he ran away.

_'The last thing I need is TWO dead siblings,'_ he added mentally.

_Flashback end_

"...I owe the Straw Hats a great debt," Pamela said. "I'll be damned if I let you do anything to them!"

"Bold words," said Langstrom. "I could just kill you now and be done with it...but I have other places to be." He then looked to where Sanji and Blizzard ran off...and then grinned. "So...headed to town, are you?"

XXX

Hetheren's port town was alive with the hustle and bustle of the townsfolk. Ships were docked at the pier to trade their treasures and goods for supplies and other wares. Children laughed as they played on the streets with their pet cats and dogs while their parents chatted about who-knows-what, but made sure to keep a sharp eye on their children. Elderly people sat beneath gazebos, having a nice calm cup of tea.

Little did anyone realize that the peaceful atmosphere was about to be broken quite soon.

"Well, we finally made it to the town," said Luffy as he looked around, "but where could Nami and the others be?"

"Sanji and Blizzard were supposed to meet up with us, too," said Aika, who was now in her human form as she walked beside Luffy. "I wonder if they made it here."

"Hmm..." Luffy hummed before he grinned. "Well, whatever. Things will work out, somehow!"

"Yeah!" Aika agreed. "That's what you always say, Big Brother!"

"In the meantime," Luffy began, "maybe we can get something to eat while we wait for them."

What they didn't seem to realize was that Nami's group wasn't too far from them, having slipped into the crowd to avoid Hendrickson and his troop of Marine soldiers...who, surprisingly, weren't too far away, themselves.

"They're around here somewhere!" Hendrickson shouted. "Start looking!"

"Yes, sir!" the soldiers saluted as they began to split up.

"This isn't good," Brook said as he glanced back.

"What are we gonna do, Nami?" Carrot asked.

"Let's just hope that Luffy's here, somewhere," said Nami. "He'll take care of these guys for us...and hopefully, Blizzard and Sanji are with him, too...and Aika's safe and sound."

"Wait, Nami, look!" Chopper exclaimed. "I think I see them! Over there!"

Sure enough, they spotted Luffy standing in front of a stall that was selling (what else) fresh-cooked meat, and Aika was standing beside him!

"Luffy! Aika!" Nami exclaimed as she and the others ran toward him...well, more like hobbled in Derek's case.

"Huh?" Luffy muttered as he turned around, only to gasp upon seeing Nami and the others running toward him and Aika, who also grinned in delight. "Nami! Chopper! Brook! Carrot!"

"Big Sis Nami! Everybody!" Aika cheered as she ran up and jumped into Nami's arms, causing her to laugh while Luffy soon pulled them all into a group hug.

"Luffy! Aika!" Chopper sobbed. "I was afraid something terrible happened to you guys!"

"We're so happy to see you two!" Brook added.

"Garchu~!" Carrot chirped as she bit Luffy's ear, causing him to laugh. "I missed you so much!"

"Carrot, let go!" he said, but that's when he noticed Derek. "Uh...wait, who are you?"

"Captain '100 Slash' Derek," said Derek. "A Captain of the Marines."

"Wait...Derek?" Luffy repeated. "Where have I heard that name before?"

"...Uh...Big Brother," said Aika while Carrot was gently nibbling on her cheek. "Isn't Derek the name of that guy that the lion-guy thinks you killed?"

"Oh, yeah!" Luffy realized. "Hey, buddy, that guy you work for is a whack-job!"

"Yeah, so I've heard," Derek said. "Listen, it's not his fault. I'm sure he's chasing you here, so-"

"Luffy!"

Upon hearing his name being called, once again, Luffy turned to see none other than Sanji and Blizzard running toward him.

"Sanji! Blizzard!" Luffy exclaimed.

"You're here!" Aika piped up.

"Oh, thank goodness," Nami said in relief. "They're okay."

"There you are!" Sanji said as he hopped off Blizzard's back. "Man, am I glad to see you!"

_"Are you and Aika okay?"_ Blizzard asked.

"We're fine!" Luffy said before he looked him and Blizzard over and saw that they looked like they had been in quite the scuffle. "Whoa...what happened to you guys, anyway?"

"We had a bit of a run-in with some crazy lion dude," Sanji answered.

"Langstrom?" Derek asked, causing Sanji and Blizzard to turn to him.

"And you are?" Sanji asked.

"Sorry, don't mind me," Derek said. "I'm actually hoping Langstrom shows up soon so that I can explain to him what's really happening here."

"So Langstrom's your boss, huh?" Sanji asked.

"Wait! We don't have time for this!" Nami cried. "We have to get out of here before-"

Before she could finish her sentence, she yelped as she was suddenly grabbed from behind by several Marine soldiers and placed in handcuffs. "Hey!"

"Whoa! Hey, let go!" Carrot cried as she was grabbed and handcuffed, as well.

"Nami!" Luffy and Sanji cried out, only for the latter to get tackled by several more Marine soldiers, along with Blizzard, who yowled as he got pinned down.

_"Hey! Get off me!"_ Blizzard yelled as he tried to push them off, but more kept piling on top of him.

"AAH!" Brook and Chopper screamed as they were suddenly bound in Sea Prism Stone ropes and pinned to the ground, as well.

"Guys!" Luffy cried, just as Aika was suddenly grabbed from behind and picked up by one of the Marines, as well. "Aika!"

"Big Brother, help!" Aika cried.

"What the hell is-" Derek started, only to get struck in the back of the head by the butt of a rifle, causing him to groan as he lost consciousness...and as he collapsed, it was soon revealed to be Hendrickson, who gave a smug grin as he approached the group.

"We meet again...Straw Hat Luffy," said Hendrickson.

"You're...Hamburger!" Luffy exclaimed.

"IT'S HENDRICKSON, YOU IDIOT!" Hendrickson barked. "DON'T YOU EVEN KNOW MY NAME BY NOW?!" He then cleared his throat. "No matter...you're surrounded now, Straw Hat."

"Urrgh...damn you!" Sanji cursed. "If my ribs weren't cracked, I would have thrown you all off of me by now!"

By now, a crowd had begun to gather around, wondering what all the commotion was about, causing Hendrickson to grin.

"Fear not, good people," he said. "We, the Marines, shall apprehend these pirates and end their reign of terror. You needn't worry any longer."

"Pirates?" asked a young woman. "You mean those guys?"

"Hey, wait!" said a middle-aged man as he spotted Luffy. "That kid with the Straw Hat...that's Straw Hat Luffy! I saw his face in the papers, earlier this week!"

"Wait...THE Straw Hat Luffy?" asked a teenage boy. "The one that tried assassinate Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors?!"

"They say that his bounty is 1.5 billion!" added an old woman. "He might even be known as the Fifth Emperor!"

"I can't believe that the Marines captured him so easily, though," said a young man. "Maybe that bounty is nothing but bluster?"

"Step aside, please."

The crowd gasped as they turned to see none other than Langstrom, who panted as he walked toward them. The moment they saw his bloody wounds, the bystanders instantly cleared a path for him.

"Langstrom...!" Hendrickson whispered before he turned to the two Marines that were holding Derek's unconscious body. "Quick! Hide Derek! I'll deal with him later, just don't let Langstrom see him! There will be two medals in it for you!"

The two soldiers nodded as they quickly dragged Derek along the ground, hiding him out of Langstrom's sight. As for the Vice-Admiral himself, he soon stood face-to-face with Luffy, who glared at him as he approached.

"Lion Guy..." he said.

"Hard to believe that my men managed to capture your crew so easily, Straw Hat," said Langstrom. "I must admit...they really are something." He then glanced over at Sanji and Blizzard who were both pinned down and in chains. "Your cook and your guard dog actually did manage to give me quite a hard time."

"Vice-Admiral," said Hendrickson. "I tried to avenge Derek's death...but these pirates were so slippery...I couldn't...!" He then screwed his eyes shut and bit his lip. "I'm so sorry I failed you, sir!"

"That's not true!" Nami shouted.

"Yeah! Derek is-" Chopper started.

"I won't hear of anything you scumbag pirates have to say!" Langstrom shouted. "Ensign Hendrickson...Straw Hat is mine to deal with and mine alone."

"...Of course, sir," said Hendrickson with a wicked grin.

"...It's just you and me, now, Straw Hat," said Hendrickson as he glared at Luffy. "Your crew is captured and you are outnumbered...and if you try to resist, I will see to it that you are dealt with harshly." He then held up his Sea Prism Stone claws. "So...what will you do?"

Luffy's eyes burned with a glaring intensity at Hendrickson...but then, he quietly glanced down at the pistol he had hidden within his sash.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Next time on One Piece: Trek!

Hendrickson: Now's your chance, Vice-Admiral! Now we can finally be rid of Straw Hat and his crew! *thinking* _And I'll even get my promotion to boot!_

Langstrom: Why are you just standing there, Straw Hat?

Luffy: ...I'll tell you one thing...I'm not like how you say I am.

Langstrom: Oh, really?

Nami: Vice-Admiral Langstrom! If you could please just listen! We didn't kill anyone! You have to believe us!

Brook: We've been trying to tell you! Derek is alive!

Langstrom: *gasps*

Hendrickson: You truly believe the lies of pirates?! *grabs a sword from one of the Marine soldiers and charges* If you won't execute them, then I'll do it myself!

Aika: NO, WAIT!

*Blood sprays in the air*

Luffy (horrified): AIKA!

Next time: **What Will You Do?**

* * *

Review, please!


	11. What Will You Do?

**Ch. 11- What Will You Do?**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Story and OCs © Me

* * *

The crowd watched with nervousness as they watched the scene in front of them. On one side was Luffy, whose fists were clenched at his sides, and on the other side was Langstrom, who glared at him with intense ferocity. The Straw Hats all stood nearby, all of them in chains as they could only watch their captain confront the Vice-Admiral, and meanwhile, Hendrickson chuckled sinisterly to himself.

_'This is too perfect,'_ he thought. _'I don't even have to worry about killing Straw Hat, anymore. Langstrom will just do the work for me!'_

"Now's your chance, Vice-Admiral!" shouted Hendrickson. "Now we can finally be rid of the Straw Hats for good!"

"...Straw Hat Luffy," said Langstrom. "I never thought that I'd be the one to bring you to justice. I heard many a story about your overwhelming strength and how you've always managed to beat the odds against you...however, I cannot let a criminal such as you continue to run free." He narrows his eyes. "Especially after what you did to Derek."

"I told you, I don't know who that is!" Luffy argued. "Whoever that guy is, I didn't kill him!"

"Vice-Admiral Langstrom!" Nami cried. "Please, let us explain!"

"SILENCE!" Langstrom yelled, causing her to wince. "I won't hear of any excuse you have! Whether you know who he was or not, you still had a hand in his murder! For that...I will see to it that you and your crew NEVER see the light of day, again!"

Luffy grit his teeth as he glanced down at his sash, then back at Langstrom.

"So...what will you do, Straw Hat?" asked the lion-man. "Will you continue to resist arrest? Or will you come quietly? If you do the latter...at least you will still have your dignity."

Luffy looked around at his crew, who all struggled to get out of the grasp of the Marine soldiers that had them bound. Then his eyes fell upon Aika, who whimpered as she struggled to get away. That's when his gaze fell upon the gun he had hidden in his sash...and his mind wandered back to what Pamela had said to him, earlier.

_"The way I see it, it's gonna take more than your fists to protect the people you care for. Sometimes, in a situation where your life or the life of your crew is at stake, you can't afford to hesitate. If you see an opportunity to pull the trigger...you have to take it..."_

Luffy quietly sighed and closed his eyes...then glared at Langstrom as he reached inside of his shirt...and pulled the flintlock out of his sash, causing the crowd to gasp in shock.

"Holy crap, he's got a gun!" cried a young man.

"AAAAH!" a woman shrieked.

"Luffy...!" Nami whispered in shock.

"Big...Big Brother...?!" Aika stammered, completely stunned that her older half-brother was holding a gun.

"...What's that?" Langstrom asked.

"What do you think it is?" Luffy asked. "It's a gun, jackass."

"AAH!" Hendrickson cried. "Quickly, Langstrom! Kill him before he pulls the trigger!"

"Hold on, Hendrickson!" shouted Langstrom before he turned to Luffy...and that's when he noticed that the gun was slightly trembling. "...Your hand is shaking, Straw Hat...why?"

Luffy narrowed his eyes...but it was true: his hand, though subtle, was shakily holding the pistol and sweat was beginning to form on his brow.

"What's wrong with Luffy?" Carrot asked.

"Yeah...I've never seen him act like that before!" Chopper added.

"...He's scared," Sanji whispered, causing the others to look at him in surprise. "We all know Luffy: he's no killer...so how do you think he feels in this situation, right now?!" He turned his gaze to Langstrom, who didn't once take his eyes off Luffy. "Don't you see? That Langstrom has probably pushed Luffy so close to the edge that he's actually thinking about shooting this guy to death...even though he's never once spilled the blood of his enemies before!"

"Gehahahaha!" laughed Hendrickson. "What's wrong, Straw Hat?! Why the hesitation?! Too much of a coward to shoot?!"

"Big Brother...!" Aika whispered as she looked at Luffy, who seethed as he aimed the pistol at Langstrom...but then, he heaved a sigh before he lowered his arm.

"No..." he said. "Not like this."

"What do you mean?" Langstrom asked.

"Look...no matter what, I never kill anybody," Luffy said as he dropped the gun at his feet. "I'm NOT like how you say I am! I'm not someone who will take someone's life! I'd rather them live in humiliation than take their lives!"

Langstrom's eyes widened while Hendrickson growled in disdain, while the Straw Hats all smiled in relief.

"Thank goodness..." Brook whispered.

"Vice-Admiral! This is your chance!" the Ensign shouted. "Hurry and kill him now!"

"Quiet, Hendrickson!" ordered Langstrom before he looked to Luffy, who stared at him...but then, then Vice-Admiral chuckled lightly. "Well...it seems you're more of a man than I thought you were. There's no way someone like you...someone who has never once spilled the blood his foes...let alone the blood of innocent civilians would never make an attempt on the life of one of my dear comrades."

Luffy just stood there, staring at him with an air of seriousness...and it was then that Langstrom's eyes began to darken.

"Nonetheless...someone is responsible for the murder of Captain Derek," he said, "and I will bring his killer to justice."

"Vice-Admiral Langstrom!" Nami called, gaining his attention. "Please, let us explain something! We're not the criminals here! ...Okay, well, we are pirates, but still! We didn't kill anyone!"

"We've been trying to tell you all along!" Brook exclaimed. "Derek is alive!"

A gasp escaped Langstrom's mouth as he turned to face the two Straw Hats. "You're serious?!"

"Yes...they are..." a voice rasped, causing the Vice-Admiral to look up and see Derek hobbling into the crowd, holding one of his crutches in one arm and two unconscious Marines in the other...the same Marines that knocked him unconscious and dragged him away.

"D...Derek...!" Langstrom gasped in disbelief before he rushed over and put his hands on his shoulders while nearby, Hendrickson had a look of horror on his face. "You're alive!" That was when he noticed the stump of what was left of his right leg. "But...your leg..."

"It was ripped off by sea wolves," Chopper said. "We managed to save him before he drowned, though."

"I owe the Straw Hats a great debt," said Derek. "Vice-Admiral...please...if you can find it in yourself to let them go, I'd be eternally grateful to you, sir."

"Don't listen to them!" shouted Hendrickson. "They're holding him hostage! It's a lie, I tell you-"

"Quiet, Hendrickson!" shouted Langstrom before he turned to Derek, then to the other soldiers. "Release the Straw Hats at once."

"Yes, sir!" the Marine soldiers answered before they began to untie and unchain the group, who all got up and dusted themselves off.

"Finally," Sanji said as he rubbed at his wrists. "Those cuffs chafe like hell!"

"It seems I've made in error in judgment," Langstrom as he turned and bowed his head at Luffy. "Forgive me, Straw Hat Luffy."

Luffy blinked in surprise at the Vice-Admiral before he grinned impishly. "Shishishi! No harm done!"

The crowd also seemed confused, but they all smiled nonetheless, glad to see that things were resolved peacefully.

"Still," Langstrom began, "how did this even happen?"

"I'll tell you how," Derek said before he glared at Hendrickson. "It was Hendrickson who made the attempt on my life!"

Hendrickson froze while Langstrom's eyes widened...then he turned and glared at the Ensign, who gulped nervously. It was almost like he was staring in the eyes of a demon from hell, glowering down at him furiously.

"Is this true, Ensign Hendrickson?" asked Langstrom before he turned to the other soldiers, who all gulped and shivered. "Well?! Is this true or not?!"

"...W...we're sorry, Vice-Admiral," said one of the Marine soldiers, bowing his head in shame. "We followed Hendrickson's orders because we wanted to make names for ourselves, as well! He threatened to have us all fed to the sea wolves if we didn't cooperate!"

"We were foolish to follow his orders," added another. "Please, we'll take any punishment! Whatever it takes to make you forgive us!"

"You idiots!" Hendrickson shouted. "What about your medals?!"

"Screw our medals!" shouted a third soldier. "We're not about to risk our heads over something so meaningless!"

"...Hendrickson...!" Langstrom hissed, causing the cowardly Ensign to gasp. "How dare you! You would dare to endanger the lives of your fellow Marines?!"

"They're just a bunch of rats!" Hendrickson barked. "We can easily find more replacement soldiers! What I wanted was to aim for the rank of Vice-Admiral, or even to the rank of Fleet Admiral, and I was going to use the Straw Hats to make that ambition a reality! You had one job, Langstrom...you were supposed to kill Straw Hat for me so that I could take the credit, but your little lapdog, Derek, had to go and ruin everything!"

"You were endangering the lives of soldiers, Hendrickson!" shouted Derek. "I had to stop you!"

"What's a few soldiers when there's a pirate who's worth 1.5 billion standing right here?!" Hendrickson questioned before he grabbed a cutlass from one of the Marines, then turned and glared at Luffy. "Forget it...I'll execute you myself, Straw Hat!" With a roar, he charged at Luffy, who quickly braced himself for an attack...but then...

"NO, DON'T!"

**SLASH! SPLURT!** All of time suddenly seemed to go still as Hendrickson swung the blade of the cutlass. Not long after he did so, there was the sound of the blade cutting into flesh, and following that was a harsh thud as something hit the ground. The Straw Hats, the Marines, Langstrom and Derek, and even the crowd all stood with mouths gaping, horrified and shocked by what they had just witnessed...but none of them were more horrified than Luffy...because there, on the ground...was Aika, lying in a pool of blood.

"AIKAAAAAAAAAAA!" Luffy screamed as he ran to her side, followed by the rest of the Straw Hats.

"OH, MY GOD!" Nami cried as she held Aika in her arms, where she saw the full extent of the damage: there was a sizeable gash in her forehead, starting at the roots of her black hair and nearly going down between her eyes.

"That looks bad!" Chopper cried. "She's bleeding so much!"

"Aika! Open your eyes!" Sanji shouted. "Come on!"

"Hold on, Young Miss Aika!" Brook urged. "Please! You have your life ahead of you!"

_"Aika, can you hear us?!"_ Blizzard asked. _"Come on, kid, say something!"_

"Aika, you gotta wake up!" Carrot cried with tears forming in her eyes.

"...Ugh...unnnh..." Aika groaned as her eyelids twitched and she grit her teeth.

"Oh, good, she's alive!" said Nami in relief.

"Aika...why did you jump in the way?!" Luffy asked. "I could have easily dodged that!"

"...I'm sorry...my body moved on its own," Aika said...giving her older half-brother a forced grin. "It's okay...it doesn't hurt at all...!"

"Oh, Aika..." Nami said, sadly.

_"You crazy reckless pup,"_ said Blizzard. _"You really are Luffy's sister!"_

A pause...but then, Luffy slowly stood up, causing the others to look at him...and almost instantly, they knew what he was about to do. Slowly and VERY wisely, they took Aika and backed away...and somehow, the crowd also seemed to sense that something was about to happen, for they also stepped back several feet. Even Langstrom, Derek, and the Marines backed off...leaving Hendrickson to face Luffy, who had his back turned to him. The Ensign gulped, his legs shaking beneath as he dropped the cutlass...and then, all of a sudden, Luffy disappeared into thin air.

"Huh?" Hendrickson muttered, a drip of snot hanging from his nostril. "W-where did he-"

Before he even had time to think, Luffy suddenly reappeared right in front of him, quick as a flash...and if he thought that Langstrom looked like a demon, then right now, he felt like he was looking at the Devil, himself, for the Straw Hat Captain was glowering down at him with glowing red eyes...eyes that burned with unshed tears.

"AAH!" Hendrickson shrieked before he clasped his hands together. "NO, WAIT! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!"

"Begging for your life...WON'T SAVE YOU!" Luffy roared before he punched Hendrickson with a Haki-imbued fist. There was a sickening crunching sound that followed the impact as nearly all of Hendrickson's teeth were knocked out...the sound of his skull practically cracking open like an egg. Blood sprayed from his nose and jaw as he was sent crashing into a building...and not long after, he was buried in a pile of bricks and wooden beams.

"Uggh...guuuh...!" Hendrickson gurgled, his mouth now full of blood and his eyes welling over with tears. "Beesh...doh...gill be...!"

Luffy seethed as he grabbed Hendrickson by the throat and pulled him up so that his face would meet his...then, slowly, Luffy began to squeeze his hand around the Ensign's neck, causing him to gag.

"Do...beesh...doh gill be...!" he gagged, but then, Luffy gasped as he felt a hand on his shoulder, causing him to gasp before he turned around...and there was Sanji, staring him right in the eye.

"...Don't do it, man," he whispered, and suddenly, Luffy gasped as he realized what he was about to do. Horrified, he quickly dropped Hendrickson and backed away, causing him to gasp for air.

"I...I almost..." Luffy started.

"It's okay," Sanji said. "Just calm down."

Langstrom sighed before he walked over to Luffy, who looked up at him.

"Langstrom," he said.

"...Get the girl some medical attention, immediately," Langstrom advised before he glared down at Hendrickson...who was lying on the ground, a dark spot having formed between his pants. "I'll see to it, personally, that Hendrickson is punished for his transgressions." He then looked to Luffy. "Besides...after what you did to him, just now, I doubt he'll even be able to walk again."

Luffy cast his eyes to the ground, clenching his fists tightly.

"...I understand how you feel," Langstrom said. "Sometimes, when you're enraged, you don't think about what you do...you just act." He then sighed heavily. "Especially when it comes to protecting the ones you hold dear. You lose control and you don't even know what you're doing...as you clearly saw with me, earlier."

"Vice-Admiral..." Derek said, sadly.

"...I'm sorry..." Luffy said.

"Don't apologize," Langstrom said. "Just go...and tend to the little one."

Luffy gasped before he turned and ran over to Aika, who had a cloth held to her forehead to stop the bleeding.

"We have to get her back to the ship," said Chopper. "Let's hurry!"

"Right!" Luffy said as he and Nami, who held Aika close to her chest, climbed onto Blizzard's back while Chopper turned into his Walk Point form while Brook and Carrot sat on his back.

"Wait!" Nami exclaimed before she looked back at Sanji. "Sanji! Aren't you coming?!"

"I'll catch up! You guys go!" Sanji called, prompting the others to run off without him...and as they left, the Straw Hat cook turned to look at Langstrom and Derek.

"Can I help you, Black Leg?" asked Langstrom.

"I'll cut to the chase," Sanji said. "You know that Aika is Luffy's sister, don't you?"

"Wait, what?" Derek asked in surprise while Langstrom exhaled.

"...Yes...I do know," Langstrom said. "However...I personally believe that using something so heinous as the Buster Call just to hunt down one little girl who had barely even begun to live was far too extreme." He closed his eyes and folded his hands behind his back. "Just as I thought that executing Portgas D. Ace simply for being the son of Gold Roger was far too extreme, as well. Children should be allowed to shape their own destiny...not instantly sentenced to death simply for who their parents are." He opened his eyes. "Fear not for her safety...I will see to it that no wanted posters of her will be shown."

"...You're one of the good ones," Sanji said as he turned, then disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"...Derek," Langstrom said.

"Yes, sir!" Derek saluted.

"Get Hendrickson and clean him up," Langstrom said. "And send him to our medical team. I want him to be conscious when I tell him that he's been demoted to janitor duty, cleaning up the Marine K9 kennels."

"Yes, sir," Derek smirked.

"Citizens!" Langstrom called. "The situation has been resolved peacefully! I will personally pay for any damages that had been caused here. Return to your business as you were!"

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Next time on One Piece: Trek!

*On a battleship*

Derek: That Straw Hat...he's certainly something, isn't he?

Langstrom: Yes, indeed...and I feel that he might have the power to change this very world as we know it.

*On the _Sunny_*

Nami: I'm glad to see that all of you are all right.

Luffy: Yeah...me, too.

Aika: *has bandages around her forehead* ...Big Brother?

Luffy: Yeah?

Aika: ...Thank you for always looking out for me.

Luffy: *smiles* No problem.

Chopper: Hey! I just realized what day it is, today!

Nami: Huh?

Next time: **The Voyage Continues**

* * *

Next chapter is the finale! And hopefully, there will be a new chapter of The Fire Within this week!

Review, please!


	12. The Voyage Continues

**Ch. 12- The Voyage Continues**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Story and OCs © Me

* * *

It took a while, but as the sun began to set, Luffy and Sanji finally managed to get back to the _Sunny_, and the first thing the former did when he got on board was rush right to the sickbay. Once he got there, he found his younger sister, sitting on the cot...with bandages wrapped around her head while Nami, Chopper, Blizzard, Brook, and Carrot all stood around her.

"Aika!" Luffy exclaimed as he went over to her side and gently put his hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay? How do you feel?"

"A little better, now," Aika said.

"I managed to close the wound," said Chopper, "but...it was so deep that she'll probably get a scar...but we won't know until I get the bandages off."

"...Oh, Aika," Luffy said as he stroked her hair. "I'm sorry about this."

"...Don't be sorry for me, Big Brother," Aika said with a serious expression. "I regret nothing!"

"Huh?" Luffy and the others muttered.

"I know you probably didn't want me to," Aika started, "and I know you're strong...but I couldn't help myself. I just ran in without thinking...and I didn't care if I got hurt or not. I just wanted to make sure that you'd be okay."

"Aika," Luffy said...but then he smiled as he gently ruffled her hair while the others smiled, lovingly.

"We're glad you're all right, Aika," Sanji said.

_"You really are Luffy's sister,"_ Blizzard smiled.

"What are we going to do with you, honey?" Nami asked.

"Shishishi!" Aika giggled, causing the others to laugh, as well...but it was then that Chopper looked up at the calendar that was pinned up on the wall, and that's when his eyes went wide and his mouth took on an "O" shape in surprise.

"Hey!" he piped up. "I just realized what day it is, today!"

"What day it is?" Nami asked.

"Look at the calendar!" Chopper said as he pointed up at the calendar, which was in May and had the first 2 days crossed out...and May 3rd was circled.

"Oh, he's right!" Nami exclaimed. "Today's May 3rd!"

"Aika, you know what that means?" Luffy asked. "It's your birthday!"

"You're 7, now!" Sanji added.

"I am?" Aika asked before she smiled. "Yeah! I am 7, now!"

"I guess we were all so caught up in what was happening," Nami began, "we actually forgot what day it was."

"So, what do we do, then?" asked Carrot.

"Well, there are still a few hours left in the day," said Sanji. "You guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

_"Do you have to ask?"_ asked Blizzard with a toothy smirk.

"Aika should be okay for this, at least!" Chopper added.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Luffy asked. "Time for an all-out birthday party, Straw Hat Style!"

"YEAH~!" everyone cheered.

XXX

Concurrently, on a Marine battleship...Langstrom sat on a chair next to a coffee table, sipping a cup of tea before he sighed and placed the cup down on the saucer. At that moment, he heard someone approaching him, causing him to turn and smile as he saw Derek, leaning on a pair of crutches as he came to sit down.

"Captain Derek," Langstrom nodded.

"Vice-Admiral," Derek acknowledged.

"So...how's Hendrickson?" asked Langstrom.

"In a full-body cast, unable to even so much as speak," said Derek. "It's an improvement if you ask me." He then sighed as he sat in the other chair next to him. "...Sir...if I may, I think I'd like to go on leave for a little while."

"...To see your family?" Langstrom asked.

"If you don't mind, of course," Derek said.

Langstrom chuckled at this. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Derek. I'm sure that Celia would be very happy to see you...Keith, too."

"I just hope Celia hasn't had the baby by now," said Derek.

"I'm sure you still have some time before that happens," Langstrom answered as he looked out toward the horizon, and that's when Derek noticed the somewhat distant, thoughtful look in his eyes.

"Sir?" Derek asked, causing Langstrom to look at him. "Is everything all right?"

"...Well...since you asked," Langstrom began, "I was thinking...that Straw Hat Luffy certainly is something, isn't he?"

Derek blinked at the Vice-Admiral before he chuckled lightly. "Yeah...I guess he really is something."

"Indeed," Langstrom concurred. "And I have a feeling...that he might have the power to change the very world we live in."

"...Sir?" Derek asked in perplexity.

"Times are changing, Derek," Langstrom replied. "Things aren't so black-and-white as they appear. Since the Paramount War, two years ago...it seems that more and more Marines such as Hendrickson have become even more corrupted than normal. Somewhere along the way, protecting the innocent somehow became misconstrued..." He then looked up at the sky. "To some...justice has a darker meaning...such as persecuting children simply for who their parents are...or destroying an entire island instead of just capturing the culprit...things such as mercy and honor became lost...don't you think?"

Derek soon put on a serious expression of his own as he nodded his head. "I have, sir...it's a shame, isn't it?" He then looked out to the horizon, as well. "How far the World Government has come...and how the so-called Forces of Justice, the Marines, have to stoop to new lows, just to get their point across...I often wonder why I'm still here."

"...As do I, my friend," Langstrom said. "I know this much, however...I have a feeling that things will never be the same, again."

XXX

Back on the _Thousand Sunny_, the festivities for Aika's birthday party were in full swing, even as the sun had already gone down and the stars were just beginning to appear in the sky. As Aika sat on the deck with her family, Sanji soon came out with a red velvet cake with white buttercream icing and a candle on top as they all sang.

"Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday, dear Aika,

Happy birthday to you~!"

"Shishishi!" Aika giggled. "Thanks, everyone!"

"Happy birthday, Little Sis!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Hurry up and blow out the candle!" Chopper added.

Aika smiled as she closed her eyes, then took a deep breath, and then blew out the candle, causing everyone to cheer and clap their hands.

"Remember, Birthday Girl gets the first slice of cake," said Sanji as he cut her a piece.

"Hey, there!"

"Huh?" the Straw Hats muttered as they turned around...and saw the Harpy Pirates' ship sailing up toward them. She looked a little banged up, but she still appeared to be seaworthy, and onboard were Pamela and the Harpy Pirates, most of them sporting bandages, but otherwise all right.

"Good to see you guys!" Pamela called.

"Pamela!" Luffy exclaimed.

"You're all okay!" Sanji added.

"Wait, who's that?" Nami asked.

"Oh, she helped us out, earlier," Luffy answered. "I'll explain later."

"What's going on down there?" asked Pamela.

"It's my birthday!" Aika answered. "We just remembered, so we're having a last-minute party! You're welcome to join us if you want!"

"Sure looks fun, Captain!" said Mizuki. "Can we?"

"Please, Captain?!" asked the rest of the Harpy Pirates.

"...Eh," Pamela shrugged with a grin on her face. "Why not? We could use a break."

"WHOO-HOO!" the Straw Hats and the Harpy Pirates cheered as they soon began to join the party. Blizzard and Angel howled as Brook played a song on his violin while Nami got into a drinking contest with Pamela. Mizuki laughed as she and Carrot ate some of Aika's birthday cake while Sanji served some food and drinks to the party-goers. Chopper, meanwhile, was trying to hide from some of the Harpy Pirates that were trying to snuggle him since they found him so adorable. Unfortunately, he still proved that he wasn't good at hiding, for he was soon smothered instantly.

As for Luffy, he laughed as he gorged himself on meat, cake, and other foods...but then, Aika came and sat down next to him, causing him to glance down at her.

"Hey, Big Brother," Aika said.

"Yeah, Aika?" Luffy asked.

"...There's something I wanted to ask you for a while," she said before she looked up at Luffy. "Who's...our Daddy?"

Luffy's eyes went wide.

"What brought this up?" he inquired.

"Well...it's just...I felt like ever since the Marines came after me on my island," Aika began, "I've been wondering for a long time why...and I think it has something to do with who my Daddy might be." She then looked up at Luffy, again. "Big Sis Nami said that since we have the same Daddy, that makes me related to you...so...who is our Daddy, Big Brother?"

Luffy swallowed the meat that was stuffed in his cheeks...but then he exhaled softly as he looked up at the sky.

"Well...our Dad, Aika," he said, "is a guy called Monkey D. Dragon."

"...I see," Aika said before she looked down. "So...you don't know what he's like then, huh?"

"Not really," Luffy answered. "I've never met him, so I wouldn't know."

"...How come you never told me about him, before?" asked Aika.

"...Because...I didn't know how you'd react," Luffy answered. "I guess I was trying to look out for you because I thought that maybe you'd be better off not knowing...but that's not fair to you. Now that you're 7...you probably deserve to know...that's why..."

"...So you did it to protect me," Aika said.

"I guess so," Luffy began, "but lately...I've been thinking...our Dad must not be that bad. I mean...he did save Sabo's life back when I was thought he was dead." He then sighed. "If I ever meet him, one day...maybe I'll see for myself what kind of man he is."

"...I see," Aika said...but then she smiled. "Well...I honestly don't mind if we ever meet him or not."

"You don't?" Luffy asked. "Why's that?"

"...Because I have you," Aika said as she looked back up at her older half-brother. "I have you and Big Sis Nami...Sanji, Brook, Chopper, Blizzard, Carrot...Zoro, Aunt Robin, Usopp, Franky...Kumi...Big Brother Sabo and Big Sis Koala...and even Uncle Jimbei, even though he's not here, right now!"

"...Aika...!" Luffy whispered in awe.

"So if I ever meet my Daddy or not...it actually doesn't matter to me," she said. "I'm not alone, anymore...because I know that I have all of you." She smiled as she put her hand on Luffy's hand. "So thanks, Big Brother...thanks for always looking out for me!"

Luffy's bottom lip trembled and he sniffled as he felt his heart swell...and then, he grabbed Aika and pulled her into a tight hug, tears of loving affection for his sister falling from his eyes as he laughed, causing her to laugh, too, and all the others could do as they watched was go "Awwww~!".

"Now isn't that just special?" Pamela asked with a warm smile.

"It sure is, Captain," Mizuki concurred.

"Well...it looks like things finally got back on track," said Nami.

"About damn time," Sanji agreed.

_"Yeah...good for them," _Blizzard smiled.

"Yohohoho!" Brook chortled.

"It's...it's beautiful...!" Carrot sniffled before she and Chopper burst into comical tears and hugged each other.

"All right, you guys!" Luffy exclaimed. "Once we're finished partying, tomorrow, we set sail for Wano Country!"

"Aye-aye!" the Straw Hats exclaimed.

And so, the pirates continued to celebrate Aika's birthday. Come tomorrow...their voyage would continue.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED IN WANO...**

* * *

Next time: the adventure continues in the Land of Wano!

The Straw Hats find themselves in the great land of samurai...but not all is what it seems. Wano Country is actually under the tyrannical rule of the Shogun, Orochi, and one of the Four Emperors, Kaido. Luffy's strength will be put to the test as he faces off against this powerful foe!

You won't want to miss this epic adventure on the next One Piece: The Chronicles of Wano Country!

* * *

*sighs* I did it...after all this time, I finally finished this story!

It wasn't easy, trying to do an original arc that tried to add current elements from canon...but I gave it my best shot and I think it turned quite well. :)

So...now that I've done this, I think I'll get started on Wano by...next month, probably. Also, I hope to actually get started on watching One Piece: Stampede. From what I hear, it's quite the crowd-pleaser.

That being said, review, please!


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